mirrors (the other side of me)
by K-Wolfy
Summary: moving in with your big sister and starting in a new town again wasn't exactly ideal and it wouldn't be the full high school experience without some drama, unrequited love, scandals and on top of that the family problems.
1. Chapter 1

**MIRRORS**

 ** _THE OTHER SIDE OF ME_**

 ** _CHAPTER ONE_**

Afraid, paranoid, and nervous.

This is how he feels.

Benedict stared deeply at the tall and enormous school building from the tinted window of his sister's car. He was terribly anxious and petrified of even the thought of going in there. Benedict was always the kid that got picked on and bullied by all the 'cool' and 'popular' kids at all of his previous schools. He had to move towns and schools time and time again because of this. His parents grew tired of moving again and again, and were sick of it all, so they planted him on his eldest sibling.

His sister: Kiera. She was Benedict's favourite person out of all of his siblings as she was the only one that took great care of him and didn't tease him at home. The two of them had a strong and solid bond, and Kiera didn't mind at all when her parents practically handed their youngest son and her youngest brother over to her.

Truth be told, Benedict is not the most athletic of boys his age, but he did pack some muscle – a trait from his father. He mostly wanted to stay in inside and indoors and read books rather than staring at a television screen playing violent video games. He was like Kiera in that way and in some other ways as well. Quiet, isolated, intelligent, and has that hidden impulsive aggression inherited from their father but also the two of them also had that soft, empathetic, and nurturing side from their mother. So, they found comfort from that and bonded over that together as well.

Benedict took a deep breath and removed his gaze from the school to Kiera. Her hands rested casually on the top of the stirring wheel. Kiera gave him a small, reassuring smile. "I'm sure you've heard these a million times, Benny, but just don't worry about trying to 'fit in' too much. Just be you, and you'll be fine. High school doesn't last forever."

Benedict scoffed and looked down at his fidgeting hands. It all seemed like forever to him, but he realised sooner or later that Kiera was always right. He found that creepy and confusing at certain times but as he thought it through he figured that it was all just from life experience. "Yeah, well, thanks, Kiera."

She nodded and patted his shoulder. Somehow her touch calmed and took his nerves and anxiety down a peg or two. "Good luck, Benny, and if anyone pushes you around, call me and you'll know what I'll do."

Benedict laughed a little, thankful for her dry sense of humour. "Kick their ass?"

Kiera smirked at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You bet your ass I will."

Benedict smiled to himself at that and opened the car door. He slipped out of Kiera's black Range Rover and closed the door, waving her goodbye. She waved him off and twirled the car back into the crazy morning traffic. He felt sorry for her, he knew how hectic the morning school run can be, but he was thankful all the same. She could have simply told him to walk but she made time in her morning schedule for him. That made him smile. Benedict switched his gaze back to the school and he sighed to himself. _A new town, a new year, a new life. Try and make it count this time, Ben._ He told himself. Benedict made a promise to himself that he would make it work this time, and this time no backing out of the school, the life, and the town. He told himself that he would at least try to make any friends and have no bullies after him.

Benedict had retrieved his school and lesson schedule the week before, so he knew what he had and where he had it. Luckily, the schedule came with a map of the classrooms around the school – which was entirely helpful for him. It would be entirely awkward for him and anyone involved if he had gotten himself lost within the school. Benedict had run any and every horrible scenario of what might happen to him on his first day of his new school. He was too paranoid for his own good – Kiera told him she was the same so that reassured him. He was prepared this time and that made it entirely easier for him.

Benedict attempted to walk at a normal pace to the entrance of the school without making eye contact with anyone he thought might tease or hurt him in any way – which was everyone. As he was passing fellow students in the hallway to get to his first lesson on time, he overheard the not-so-whispers of 'he must be the new kid'. Benedict had lost track of how many of them whispered about him. He really hated it when they did that, those whispers made him think that they were talking more into than him being the 'new kid'. Again: too paranoid for his own good.

 _Just be you and you'll be fine._

Kiera's soft and reassuring voice rang in his head. He took a few deep breaths to remind himself not to overthink everything. _What would Kiera do?_ He thought and without looking where he was going turning a corner as he was distracted, he rammed into someone. His eyes widened, and he immediately apologised. "I'm terribly sorry!" Benedict glanced up at whom he ran into. It was a cheerleader, the head cheerleader to be exact and from the looks of her she was far from friendly from where he stood.

 _Oh, I am so bloody screwed._ He thought as he mentally counted up all his blessings. "Watch it, weirdo!" The head cheerleader exclaimed and yelled at him. Her cheerleader friends all scoffed at him. He nodded, wincing at her high pitch wail and screech. His experiences with the head cheerleaders were not nice ones and they were all the same: insecure, unintelligent and bitchy bimbos. As his elder brothers put it. He sometimes wasn't so sure. He always had to question what his brothers said to him as Arthur was serious, but Thaddeus was not, so he understood them two clearly. Aidan to him was a mystery: he has his serious and soft moments but also has his great reputation as a prankster. It was always all so confusing for him.

"Why don't you watch where you are going, idiot?" She scoffed, rolling her eyes. Benedict glared at her. He didn't enjoy being called names even from his own brothers, he only tolerates being called 'Benny' by Kiera because he loves her – he prefers Benedict or Ben and no in between.

"It was an accident and I said I was a sorry." He said calmly, holding back his tongue. At times he wished he was as cool and collected as Kiera with his anger and impulsive nature.

"I don't care and get out of my way, runt." The head cheerleader scoffed and rolled her eyes, pushing past him as well as her idiot clique. He took deep breaths once again and noticed all eyes were on him, so he continued walking but he was then joined by two boys.

"Um, can I help you?" Benedict asked as politely as he could to the both of them.

"Yeah, the name is Charmy, and this is Miles but don't call him that he hates it – call him Tails." The boy named Charmy grinned at Benedict as he introduced himself and his friend.

"Um, my name is Benedict." He said this unsure of himself because this has never happened to him before, not ever.

"That's a cool name, Ben – is that okay? Can I call you Ben?" The boy on the other side of him, Tails, said softly to him with a gentle smile. Benedict could tell that Tails was much more on the soft and gentle side than Charmy was. He was more energetic and fast.

"Ben is fine." He replied simply.

"You survived the wrath of the Princess. I'm honestly surprised she didn't roast you." Charmy said as the three of them walked down the hall together.

"Um, thanks? I guess." Benedict said, slightly confused but there was a sliver of pride that bubbled up in him.

"The Princess is…the head cheerleader I ran into, I presume?" Benedict asked the both of them while minding the directionality in which he was going. His first lesson was mathematics and he really didn't want to be late and make a very bad impression of himself on the very first day, again. This happened multiple times and didn't end well for him.

"Yeah, she is. Her name is Rouge and the girls you saw her with were Fiona and Amy. Rouge acts like she owns the damn building with her damn 'squad'." Charmy answered him, walking quickly with him on his short legs. Benedict was taking this all in on a vast plate, he wasn't exactly happy about all this information. He had to get on the wrong side of the 'Princess'.

"Technically she does own the building." Tails commented. That didn't make Benedict feel any better on top of his first day anxiety and paranoia.

"Let me guess: daddy?" Benedict asked and the two of them nodded. _Rich from daddy, owns the place and a bitch that everyone is afraid of. Damn it, can I please go home now?_ He thought to himself with self-pity. He had to get through this day with no other bumps in the road but with his luck that never seems to follow through. He thought back to Kiera again and what she said to him in the car: _if anyone pushes you around, call me and you'll know what I'll do._ He always knew she would come to his 'rescue' but he wasn't exactly a damsel in distress and he didn't want to call her about a damn stuck up cheerleader. She would laugh at him or he was just being too paranoid for his own good again.

"If you're unlucky enough to increase her already deadly wrath, you'll be out of the frying pan and into the fire by the end of the day." Charmy said with a serious tone to his voice, and again, this didn't at all help with his nerves.

"How is that going to help me feel better?" Benedict groaned, frustrated and everything in between. He looked down at his map and continued his route to his maths lesson.

"Which is why you need friends to watch your back." Tails told him as he caught a glance at his map and soon understood where he was going. The same place he and Charmy were heading to.

"I have no friends – just…" _Just my sister._ He stopped himself from saying that, they would have thought he was loser. "No one, just no one."

"You do now. Us two and a plus, we're in the same maths class – so it won't be as nerve wrecking for you." Charmy said and that surprisingly made him feel better about it all. Benedict nodded and walked with them. The three of them headed down the hallway to the first class and lesson. He was slightly on edge as he entered the classroom as he had no idea where to sit but Tails motioned him along to sit beside him and Charmy. He was thankful and comforted by that. He sat down at the desk and waited patiently. He wanted this day to end as he always wanted his school days to end. The evening was his favourite because he wasn't here of all places. He was home.

The bell rang in his ears and that was another sound he wasn't so fond of, but as other students filled the room his heart dropped as Rouge and her little clique on her tail. He wished his lucky stars that she wouldn't see him at the back of the classroom but those lucky stars of his were never aligned and out of luck on such occasion. Rouge glared at him and sat in her usual spot: right in the middle with her girls either side of her. Benedict looked over at Charmy and he gave him a reassuring nod and smile, he closed his eyes for a moment.

 _Just be you, and you'll be fine._

He smiled to himself as the voice of his sister filled his mind – she calmed his nerves, anxiety and anger. She grounded him, she brought him control and he was forever thankful for that, but he knew he wouldn't have her always and forever. She had her life as well and he respected that as much as he could at his age – after all, he needed her.

She was his anchor.

"Benedict the Lone Wolf." His eyes flashed open as he heard his name. He looked down at the person that said his full name: the teacher. He was tall, hard and serious but somehow Benedict felt the teacher was far from fierce. He felt the teacher had a cool and understanding atmosphere about him.

"Yes, sir?" Benedict replied politely, staring right at him. The teacher kept that gaze – it was respectable in some way.

"A chat, please? Come." The teacher motioned Benedict to stand up and follow him. He obliged and stood up as quickly as he could and walked down the row to the front of the classroom. The teacher guided him out the door and Benedict waited patiently outside of the classroom and in the quiet corridor.

"Talk amongst yourselves for the time being." He ordered the students as he exited the classroom and closed the door behind him. He turned toward Benedict who was trying to keep control of his wracking nerves and overthinking of the whole situation he was in. He had to keep reminding himself that he did nothing wrong.

"Do you know who I am, Benedict?" He asked him calmly. Benedict was highly confused, he never met this man in his life. How was he supposed to know who he was?

"No, sir. Should I?" He answered him simply.

"I'm Silver. Mr Hedgehog in the classroom. My wife, Blaze, is a close friend of your sister and so am I." He informed him. Benedict took all of that in, it took him a few seconds to figure why this was all important.

"My sister wants you to look out for me, doesn't she?" He already knew the answer, it was more of a confirmation he wanted off of him. He didn't know whether to be hurt or thankful towards Kiera. He wasn't exactly a 'baby' anymore but she knew of what happened to him.

"Yes. When you are not with her, she knows she can't comfort or calm you, or even protect you because she can do all of that when you are with her. She worries for you and she called me a few days prior to school starting up again." Benedict nodded, he knew all of this to be true. Kiera was damn right protective of her family and he knew this. He loved her even more for this – she deeply cares for him more than he knew.

"So, she wants me to come to you if anything happens to me that is serious?" Benedict asked, and he nodded.

"Yes. Now, let's begin the day." Mr Hedgehog opened the classroom door and walked in, keeping it open for Benedict. He gained the class' attention as Benedict returned to his seat beside Charmy and Tails. He nodded at Benedict and he returned the nod.

"Right, class. Let's start off the school year with algebra to get it out the way, shall we?" Mr Hedgehog began.

Charmy and Tails leaned over to Benedict and whispered as quietly as he could to him. Discretion was a strong suit in the classroom if you don't want to get caught. "Hey, what was that about?"

Benedict looked at Charmy and whispered to him. "Apparently he is friends with my sister."

"Didn't you know?" Tails softly whispered to him and Benedict gaze switched to him, but he shook his head. He didn't know but he wanted to know. He'll talk with Kiera once she picks him up at the end of the day – if she was able to.


	2. Chapter 2

**_CHAPTER TWO_**

Benedict had himself another ride to school again from Kiera. When he had woke up by the sound of his annoying alarm, there was no one else in the house. He wondered where his sister had gotten off to and he figured that he was walking his way to school on his second day. That changed when Kiera came through the front door with her running gear on and was listening to music from her phone in an arm strap.

"Good, you're up. I'll take you to school again, I have to go to the store today anyway." She said while grabbing an apple and taking a bite out of it. Benedict nodded and ate the last of his cereal before he went back up to his room to get dressed. Kiera quickly put his lunch together in a storage container and put it into his rucksack. Benedict came down the stairs and saw his rucksack on the kitchen counter. He figured that she would be in the car waiting for him, grabbed his rucksack and headed out to the car.

He got into the car and headed off to school, wishing that the same thing that happened yesterday wouldn't happen again today for him. He didn't want Kiera to find out because she was too protective for her own good, but he loved that about her. Benedict noticed that Kiera was silent for near enough the whole car journey as she drove him to school to start his second day.

He was concerned, so he asked her about it. "What's bugging you?" He turned her his head to her as her hands tightly gripped the stirring wheel, confirming him on his theory that something was indeed bugging her.

She sighed. "Mum and Dad called this morning, just before I went for my jog." He took a deep breath as he processed this information that Kiera had just given him. He hasn't seen or heard from his parents in days, nearly a week, not since he hugged and waved them goodbye as Kiera picked him up to go to her house several hours away.

He missed them and his own familiar bed but being with Kiera was a good thing for him. He agreed with his mum and dad on that, he was more alike his sister than his brothers but being somewhere new and different with his sister would open him up a little. 'Make some friends, graduate from high school, spend quality time with your sister.' He recalled his father's words perfectly and he was trying to abide by them.

"What did they say?" He wondered if they called to check up on him, to see how he was doing and how his first day went. He would be more comforted and calm to go into the school today if they did.

Kiera tapped her fingers on the spherical curve of the stirring wheel. "They told me about the mischief that Enzo has gotten himself into. He got into another fight, unsurprisingly. The guy lost a few of his teeth." She rolled her eyes at the memory of the phone call. She wasn't surprised about Lorenzo's behaviour which would worry someone else but not her and Benedict.

He knew his big brother fairly well, him getting into more and more fights didn't shock or surprise at all. He only felt sorry for the poor chap who got into a head to head collision with Enzo to result in his teeth getting punched out. "And?" He asked her to continue what their parents told and brought to her attention.

Kiera turned the car into the school's car park and as she swung into a spot, parking the car there. She looked over at Benedict. "So, they think I can straighten him out with his anger issues and urge to punch people's faces in. He's going to stay with us for a while." Kiera revealed to him.

He slowly nodded. He got along with Lorenzo, so it didn't really bother him that he was going to live with him and Kiera for the time being. Although, he was worried with his affliction with the Princess of the school got any type of worse so would the wrath of Lorenzo and he was definitely sure that he would have a field day with that. For Benedict, the silver lining was that he had two very over protective siblings watching his back and wanting to fight his battles for him for what seems to be 24/7.

"When?" He asked, and she shrugged, unknowingly.

"Not sure, but soon." _Vague_ , he thought as he picked up his rucksack from in between his legs and feet and opened up the car door so he could hop out.

He turned and looked over at Kiera as he felt her hand grip on the jacket on his arm. "They miss you." She told him sincerely with a soft smile.

Benedict smiled to himself. "Thanks." He told her, not caring how she knew that he needed to hear that. She nodded, and he closed car door and he watched her drive away, most likely heading to the store like she said she would, and when she was out of vision. He turned and headed straight toward the entrance way of the high school. He met with Charmy and Tails as he walked on through.

He gave them a simple smile before greeting them. "Hey there." They walked together huddled through the hallowed corridors, barely full of awaiting students as they chatted away.

Charmy nudged Benedict's shoulder with his own. "How are you feeling, Ben?" He grinned at him.

Benedict raised his eyebrow at him. "Worse now. What's happened?" He sighed, not particularly amused now and the comfort that Kiera gave him for the day was now fading, very quickly.

Tails looked at him with an apologetic expression. "It all happened sort of quickly." He tried to explain as lightly and gingerly as he could but that only made Benedict much more confused by each passing moment.

Benedict stopped in his tracks from going down the corridor. "It is too early in the morning, please, just spit it out already." He looked at the two of them rather annoyed.

Charmy glanced at Tails and then back to Benedict whom was impatiently waiting for an answer. "Well?" He asked irritated.

"A rather not exactly nice rumour is being actively spread around the school about you." Tails began to explain, trying to spare his feelings. He was beginning to like Benedict and wanted to consider him a friend.

 _That fast?_ He thought, sort of impressed. "By the bossy cheerleader, no doubt." He presumed, knowing his terrible first impression with Rouge didn't exactly go over too well.

"Bingo." Charmy nodded, giving Benedict a swift pat on the shoulder.

He looked at Charmy concerned and worried for his future here at this high school, knowing he won't be going anywhere any time soon, if this rumour was as bad as his imagination played it out to be. "What is it?" He asked him, although he was on the fence on whether he wanted to find out what rumour Rouge could conjure up in her stuck-up mind of hers.

"I quote 'the new kid is a total mama's boy, the woman that dropped him off looks as old as my step-brother. You know what that means: 16 and pregnant.'" As Charmy explained to him what horrible rumour Rouge has sprung from her lips about him to the school and that left him definitely not amused as well as not particularly happy but not as angry as Lorenzo would be if he was in the same situation and position.

"One. She is not my mother. Two. She is my sister. Three. She has never been pregnant." Benedict sighed aggravated, exhausted and not at all impressed with Rouge's 'scandalous' rumours about him and his family.

Tails nodded with a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Ben."

He shrugged. "It's not the worse rumour that I have heard about me and it wasn't that well thought of either." He smirked to himself and Charmy chuckled at what he said.

Tails smiled at him and was glad that he just shook off Rouge's rumour like it was nothing. He admired Benedict's strength and wonders which side of the family he got that from and he was a little envious of that. He was alone for a lot of his childhood, any other kid his age would be turned away from him by his two tails. So, he was thankful when Charmy started the same year he did and befriended him. Now, he was thankful that Benedict was beginning to be friends with them both. He remembered reading that there was safety in numbers.

It was lunch and Benedict was sat with Charmy and Tails, chowing down on their food brought from home. Tails and Charmy already knew that the food sold at the canteen wasn't exactly tasty or good for your health. Benedict knew not to touch the food given and provided by the school as his brother, Thaddeus, got food poisoning when he ate something wrong in his ham and cheese sandwich he bought so they were all careful with their lunches after that.

During his first two classes of the day, Benedict felt his fellow students staring at him and he knew he had Rouge to thank for that. It didn't really bother him, and he was showing everyone that, especially Rouge. When someone would ask him if it were true, – even teachers knew about this rumour – he would tell them the truth. He would say, 'you can believe whatever you want but I wouldn't put your trust in her'. It was wise but true and when Rouge heard what he said, she wasn't exactly happy with him – not that he cared but he did worry for her retaliation because he knew it was coming. She was the vindictive person, he could tell.

"Um, hi." They all raised their heads and looked at where the feminine voice came from. She stood in front of an empty seat of their circular table, holding onto tray of lunch she just bought from the canteen.

"Hey." The three boys answered her in unison.

She shifted her feet in her spot. She was nervous, Benedict could tell as she tightened her grip on her plastic red tray of food. "Could I sit with you, guys?" She asked softly. Her voice was small and shaky, confirming his assumption on her shaken nerves.

Tails and Charmy looked at Benedict, telling him it was his decision. They didn't mind. He nodded. "Go ahead." He gave her a small smile and she smiled gently back at him. She sat down beside Tails and in front of Benedict.

Charmy took a bite out of his red apple. "So, what's your name?" He hasn't seen her before, neither has any of them. They didn't see her yesterday either.

She put her bag beside her feet. "Cream." She told them.

"Charmy." He introduced himself and gave her a welcoming smile.

Tails were next. "Miles, but most people call me Tails." She nodded and smiled at him, she looked over at Benedict, waiting for his name.

"Benedict, but Ben in fine." He nodded and brought a chocolate chip cookie to his mouth, taking a stiff bite out of it.

"Thanks for letting me sit with you." Cream opened her bottle of smooth orange juice and took a sip out of it.

Benedict raised an eyebrow at her. "What makes you think we wouldn't?" He asked, seeing right through her.

She finished her gulp of juice and answered him. "Everyone else said no or they're full up." She shrugged, and he could tell she was hurt with their rejection.

"Sorry, you're welcome to sit with us anytime though." Tails told her, finished with his lunch.

Charmy agreed. "Totally."

Cream smiled thankfully at the three boys. "You're too kind."

She then turned to view Benedict, and he knew that look. She had heard about the rumour, as well. "You heard about the rumours about me?" He asked, opening a pack of ready salted Walker's crisps and putting one into his mouth to eat.

She nodded silently. Tails and Charmy looked at him shocked at him – they didn't even know she knew about that yet. "Do you believe them?" He then asked her.

Cream shook her head; she didn't believe them at all. He smiled, "Good, because they aren't true." She nodded and opened up a sandwich. She is oblivious to the reason of these rumours, but she wasn't going to push it with questions that she wanted to ask. They weren't true and that is all that matters now.

The four of them chatted their way through the lunch hour while simultaneously eating what they had in front of them. They asked Cream what lessons she had and compared them to their own timetables and luckily, she had a few with either one of them or two. Benedict shared science with her while Charmy had art and design with her. She had a lot more lessons with Tails and he was unsure of how he missed her in them but now he would make sure she wasn't alone anymore in there. Thankfully, there wasn't a strict seating chart in those classes.

As soon as the bell rang they set off to their respective lessons and agreed to meet up at the bike racks by the school car park, so they could talk before Kiera would drive up to pick up Benedict, then Charmy and Tails would walk back to their homes.

Benedict was already leaning up against the thick plastic sheet that substituted for glass for the bike racks. He smiled at the sight of Tails walking out of the building, lighting up when he saw him waiting for him. Benedict noticed something a little off about him today, he didn't eat that much or talk much at break or even lunch.

He decided to ask him as soon as he walked up before Charmy and Cream made their way out of the building. "You gonna tell me what's up?"

Tails looked confused, but he was masking something else, Benedict tried to make it out, but it seemed to be a mix of sadness and uneasiness. "What?"

"We're friends, you can tell me anything and I won't utter a word – who have I got to tell?" Well, he has his sister, but he doesn't think she really cares about his friends or their lives as mean as it is. She has no idea who they are, so he could see her reasoning.

Tails let his small façade drop. "Okay, I haven't told Charmy this yet either. I don't even know how to word it."

"Go with what feels right."

That was good advice, so he went with it. "Alright, so, um. I was going through old records in the attic at home and I found a bunch of files at the back."

"And?" He urged him to continue.

Tails nodded. "I found papers saying that I was adopted."

The discussion was immediately dropped as soon they heard Charmy's voice alongside Cream's. "Hey lads."

"Hey. Just waiting on Kiera." Benedict smiled at them both but made a side glance to Tails, he'll text him about what he found out about himself when he gets home.

His friend needs him.


	3. Chapter 3

**_CHAPTER THREE_**

Kiera wasn't considered traditional normal by society's standards for women her age, she did what she wanted and went about her life with no consequence. For as long as Benedict could remember she thought with her head and never her heart, he's never seen her in love before or date anyone publicly to the family or even one of those secret boyfriends. She's always been by herself, alone in that respect. Months before she left their family home in a cloud of mystery their father challenged her on the subject – she said that she prefers being alone.

He could relate to that but eventually he would seek out what lies within his heart and he hoped Kiera would do the same, one day. He also hoped that it was sometime soon as she is alone and not in the company type of way. She had friends, he knew that for sure. He only knew of his math teacher, Silver, and his wife, Blaze, but other than that he knew nothing.

Deep down, he wished that his sister would open up to him with what's going on in her head and her heart like he does to her. There's so many things he wants to ask her but he's afraid she'll put even more walls up around her heart and there are too many to begin with, so he'll wait. He's a very patient boy.

Benedict was sat opposite his sister at the dining table, using his metallic fork to play with the last of his vegetables from the lovely dinner Kiera prepared. She had already finished minutes before him and he hadn't even noticed. They were sat in comfortable silence before Kiera broke it for a moment.

"Didn't you like it?" Her voice was soft and gentle, it reminded him of his mother and how she resembled her in appearance but definitely with their father's eyes with the fire that lay behind them – she was always daddy's princess, but he wasn't so sure she was anymore. They never talk anymore, and he can tell it hurts his father. He wasn't sure how she felt about that.

He dropped his fork on the porcelain plate, giving her his full attention. "Huh, um, no – I mean, yes, it was lovely – my mind is elsewhere today. Sorry."

"You shouldn't apologise all the time for things you don't need an apology for." He nodded, she was right.

The look in her eyes softened before she continued. "What's on your mind? I can literally see the cog wheels turning in there."

He smiled at her and he leaned back in his chair, he wasn't sure whether he could share this with her, but he wasn't sworn to secrecy and she won't tell anyone. "My friend from school just found out he was adopted."

She blinked, and her expression remained unfazed. "How does this concern you?" That was harsh, but he was sure that she hadn't meant it that way.

"He's my friend and I care about him, he looked uneasy all day today. I don't think he's taking it very well." Benedict explained, watching her face for any indicator of emotion from her but no such luck – he needs to pay more attention in psychology.

Kiera rested her elbow on the table, leaning her cheek into the palm of her hand. "That's something only his parents and he can figure out, I know you want to help him but there isn't anything you could do for him in that respect."

He nodded, bowing his head. She was right, she was always right. He lifted his head as she said something else. "You can be there for him physically and emotionally."

"What do you mean by that?"

She moved her hand so that her chin was resting on the top of it. "Make sure that he knows that you're there for him, that you're there to listen and provide emotional support. Be his anchor."

"You're a lot smarter than my psychology teacher."

Letting her hand drop, she chuckled and shook her head. "I wouldn't say that to her."

Another surprise from her. "You know my psychology teacher, too?"

"This town is not that big, Benny – and who else do I know?" She was intrigued.

He furrowed his brow. "Silver, my maths teacher – he says you're friends with him and his wife."

Kiera rolled her eyes and leant back in her own seat. "I told her to tell him to be discreet."

His grey eyes narrowed at her. "He pulled me out of the class room to talk to me."

She wasn't impressed. "Yeah, because that's _discreet_." He reckoned that a phone call will be made.

This discussion was over as soon as she got up from her seat, collecting their plates, utensils and glasses. "It's getting late, take a shower and head to bed."

Benedict nodded. _She's the boss_ , he thought as he left the dining room and dragged his feet up the stairs and went into his bedroom. He hasn't decorated it since he came, it was still a pale blue and white. It was basic and could still easily be mistaken for a guest bedroom. He had his clothes in the drawers and wardrobe, his laptop on the small desk but that was all him. The rest was whatever Kiera chose to decorate this room with. She had a couple rows of her books on the shelves, they were murder mysteries and crime thrillers. No romance novellas to be seen, he didn't mind those – everyone loves a good chick flick even in book form but apparently that wasn't Kiera.

He sorted out of his pyjamas and his clothes for tomorrow before grabbing his white towel from his wardrobe and went into the bathroom to start his shower.

* * *

Kiera was pacing in the kitchen with her phone to her ear while the pots soaked in the hot water in the sink. She lowered her voice as she wasn't sure if noise travelled through her house or not as she's always lived alone. She was on the phone to Blaze and Silver, they had their phone on speaker on their end. She didn't care at all that he was discreet or not, she had other things to worry about.

" _Kiera, we can hear you pacing through the phone. Calm down._ " Blaze spoke to her in a soothing voice through the phone which made her skin crawl right now.

Her voice wasn't a whisper, but it was low enough. "I am calm, I'm the god damn mayor of CalmVille."

" _Obviously_." Silver huffed.

"Aren't you two supposed to be my loving and adoring friends?" Kiera hissed through her teeth, if the phone she was holding wasn't expensive as it was she would have tried to crush it in her hands.

" _Look, Kiera, he's not going to find out what happened from anybody, but you and you know it. We'll always have you back, no matter what."_ Blaze comforted and reassured her the best she could – getting through to Kiera through heart and emotion wasn't the best course of action which is why she chose the more logical and rational route.

" _Plus, we're the only friends you have_." Math teachers are always so cocky.

Kiera stopped her pacing. "I'm still surprised that you stuck around, I'm such the social pariah."

Blaze laughed. " _We wouldn't have you any other way, our life would be boring without you_."

"I'm so glad I've stunted your early nights of playing scrabble and brunch with the other lame couples with my soap opera life."

There was a silence. " _Okay, that hurt_." Silver countered.

"My apologies, I'm on edge – god, I need a drink." She ran a hand through her hair, gently pulling at the ends.

" _Drinking can't solve anything, take a long bath and head to bed."_ Blaze informed her although it was more of a demand.

Kiera laughed lightly. "You'll make a good mother one day."

" _Damn right, now off you go._ "

"Love you, too." Kiera ended the call, sliding her phone into her butt pocket and finished off with the washing up before heading up to her own bedroom, drawing a bath in her ensuite bathroom. She pulled a record out and placed the vinyl on the record player, music always seemed to soothe her.

* * *

Benedict got out of his shower, wrapping a towel around his waist and walking down the hall to his bedroom. His phone, on the night stand charging, lit up with a text message as soon as he entered the room. Wiping and drying his hands on the towel below his waistline, he picked up his phone, disconnecting it from the charger, and saw the message from Tails.

 ** _Tails: I know it's late, but could we talk?_**

He answered.

 ** _Benedict: I just got out of the shower but sure. Go ahead._**

He dropped his phone on his bed and dried his body off before putting on a clean pair of boxers on and then his pyjamas. He fell back onto his bed, sitting up to get his phone, reading the new message from Tails.

 ** _Tails: I took the files of my adoption to my bedroom and looked through them all, they look pretty legit. I finally had the courage to confront my 'parents' and they didn't deny anything._**

 ** _Benedict: What else did they say?_**

 ** _Tails: They said that they couldn't have a child naturally, so they went through the adoption route and here we are._**

 ** _Benedict: How do you feel about that and being adopted?_**

 ** _Tails: I honestly don't know. My chest feels hollow and empty. Numb, almost. I feel lied to, but I know they love me, but I can't help myself and think…_**

 ** _Benedict: Your birth parents?_**

 ** _Tails: Yeah. Questions like 'who was she?', 'what was her story? Their story?', 'why did she or they give me up?' and 'they or she must have had a reason.'_**

 ** _Benedict: You know I'm here for you no matter what, and I'll be by your side through it all – do you want to find your birth mother?_**

 ** _Tails: I know you are and I thank you so much for that, it means everything, really. And I think I do want to find her but there's nothing about her in these files._**

 ** _Benedict: Want me to come over after school tomorrow and we can search your attic together – and do you want anyone else to know?_**

 ** _Tails: That'll be great if you came over, two sets of eyes are better than one. Yeah, don't tell Charmy or Cream – I'll do that myself. Did you tell anyone?_**

 ** _Benedict: Only my sister because she can see right through me, its eerie. And she won't tell anyone, as harsh as it is, I don't think she cares because it doesn't affect her._**

 ** _Tails: It is harsh, but it makes sense, makes her trust worthy with secrets or a secret assassin._**

 ** _Benedict: Like James Bond, Jason Bourne or Black Widow? That's pretty cool._**

 ** _Tails: Totally. I'll see you tomorrow, Ben._**

Benedict set his alarm for the morning and plugged his phone back into the charger at his nightstand. He stared up at the ceiling as he heard the low sound of music drifting from Kiera's bedroom. She always played music at night which is not as bad as it sounds. It wasn't heavy metal, rock or even punk rock. It was really soft, gentle and emotional music. He enjoyed it, it lulled him to sleep most nights. He would have to ask her what songs where which and spend some time with her on something she actually enjoyed and had an interest in.

He thinks about her a lot and about what happened that made her leave. He wouldn't say she ran away, she was old enough to make her own decisions and that's what she did. It was unfortunate that it left a rift in the family dynamic and now they're all spaced and drifted apart. He wouldn't say it was her fault, but she was a big part of their family and when she was gone, it was like a light or warmth went away as well. He didn't know what happened, he was too young to understand or even conceive in his brain.

He wanted to know now, and it wasn't going to be easy to get it out of her.


	4. Chapter 4

**_CHAPTER FOUR_**

It was the end of the following day and Benedict was by the bike racks again, waiting for Tails, Charmy and Cream. Earlier that day, he told his sister not to pick him up today as he was going to Tails' house after school but will message her when he wants picking up which resulted in her saying that she's not his personal valet. There was silence followed by her saying that she'll leave her phone charged and on loud for him.

He couldn't help but think about what she does when he's at school. Sometimes, she tells him if she's going to the shops and to provide a list of food he wants but that's once a week. It was all so confusing and frustrating with her. He understood that she is a private person but he's her brother, shouldn't that give him some leeway? Apparently not. He didn't know where he stood when asking her things about herself. He would talk about his school day, how his friends were, his schoolwork, their parents and their other brothers but even that came few and far between.

 _Why all the secrets?_ If there were any secrets to share he wouldn't get them any time soon. He wasn't sure he would get them at all. Then he thought about Tails, having a secret exposed in his family – the lad is still so confused about it all for different reasons than himself. Benedict wasn't even sure that he should know what Kiera's withholding from him if she is at all. Good or bad? For better or worse for the two of them? All so shrouded in mystery, as was his sister.

It made him angry at times, he wanted to know but his respect for his sister and her boundaries far outweighed what he wanted to know. He loved her far too much to disrespect her like that. He really hoped that she'd come to him when she's ready, so he didn't have to seek her out himself because she was down right scary when she's mad. Like their father.

Pray for anyone who ended on the wrong side of either of them.

"You good to go, Ben?" Charmy's voice brought him out of his thoughts, his head suddenly tilting upward to meet his friends.

That was a nice sentiment: he had friends that weren't blood related.

He nodded his 'yes' and then his eyes caught a large, black fuck-off Range Rover parked on the side of the road with a man leaning against the hood of the car. He also noticed the very same girl that seemed to make it her mission to disrupt his time and life in this school heading to said car and talking with the man. It didn't seem like a friendly conversation.

Benedict turned his head to Tails. "Do you know who that is?" He didn't know why but the guy seemed to rub him the wrong way and he had a feeling that he wouldn't see the last of him.

"Rouge's step-brother. Shadow, I think his name is. Her mother married his father for the money. Just as nasty as she is or, so we're told." Charmy informed him and he took note of that. A note of caution and warning. He didn't know why but call it wolf's intuition.

He shook his head, trying to shake off the feeling. "Let's go."

"What? No big sister to pick you up?" Charmy asked with a laugh.

Benedict moved with them as they exited the school premises. "I'm hanging with Tails at his house to get some homework done." A simple white lie but it worked.

Tails confirmed the lie even further. "Yeah, nothing exciting."

Charmy nodded and they walked off together. They said goodbye to Cream as she made her turn to head to her house, then Charmy made his departure.

"Do you think we'll find anything on my birth parents?" Tails asked like he has been thinking this since the last time they spoke about his adoption.

Benedict shrugged, he was unsure that they will find anything at all. "Maybe, there's the possibility that we might but there's the chance that we won't."

Tails nodded, he was right, and he had to prepare for the fact that they won't find anything at all which made him unsteady, he wanted to know more. He feels like he lost his place in this world and who he is. "Yeah, you're right but its like this feeling in the bottom of my stomach that I know we'll find something."

"A gut feeling."

Tails nodded again. "Yeah, that's it."

Benedict thought of something. "Have you asked your parents about birth mother and father?"

He shook his head. "I haven't spoken to them about the adoption since I confronted them about the file I found. I didn't tell them that I had the other files, thinking that they might take them from me. They're acting like I didn't find them at all. Like its just another normal day."

"That's…not normal." Benedict was familiar with the feeling. His parents did the same thing when Kiera left, they brushed it under the rug. It was strange and unnatural. His other brother, Aidan, asked about their sister once and their father shut him down and told him not to mention her again.

Tails shoved his hands into the pockets of his bomber jacket. "If we don't find anything, I'll ask them tomorrow."

* * *

When Benedict woke up that next morning, he had a sinking feeling in his stomach. Something was going to go wrong today, he hadn't got this feeling in a long while. In the car ride to school, he asked if Kiera had the feeling as he did that morning and she didn't say anything. She gave a curt nod. She felt it too but gave no other comment on the matter than some advice she gave him to get him through the day.

 _You're not alone in what you feel in your heart and in your head because I'm with you._

He nodded, grabbing his bag and exciting the car. He watched her drive off and headed inside of the school. The first bell rang ten minutes later, and he headed for his first class of the day. Math, at least he had Charmy there at the teacher who happens to be friends with his sister which totally isn't weird to him at _all_.

A bell. Another lesson. A break. Another bell, another lesson. Bell. Lesson. Bell and lunch.

He walked with Tails and Charmy to the cafeteria but on the other end of the corridor was Rouge and that clique she surrounds herself with at all times like one of those small dogs that you put in purses for some reason. That bad feeling, he felt this morning, it was this. He knew it.

 _I am so royally fucked._

Benedict was highly outnumbered, so he did nothing when they met in the middle at the doors to the cafeteria. His eyes met hers and saw a shit-eating grin on her face.

"Look at this, three little lambs to the slaughter." Rouge laughed which was followed the entourage she had cackling on a less than funny quip she made at their expense.

He was a _Lone Wolf_ , for god's sake. His brother knocks people out for a living and he's cowering under a high and mighty cheerleader with daddy issues? "Leave them out of this. It's me you want."

Rouge smiled at him. "The sacrificial lamb protecting his sheep." _That made no sense_ , he thought.

"How's your mama doing?"

His eyes narrowed at her. "My sister?"

She visible gagged at that. "Your mother is your sister, that is seriously fucked. No wonder you're an utter catastrophe."

His jaw hardened as he clenched his teeth to release the pressure he was feeling from her words. "My sister is not my mother, you inarticulate swine – perhaps you should pay more attention in class rather than practicing the same arts your mother does."

Charmy's eyes widened. "Oh fuck."

Fire lit up behind her eyes as she snarled at him. "What did you just say, runt?"

"You didn't hear me? Let me say it slower so even you and your pack of sheep might understand. If. You. Continue. You. Will. End. Up. Like. Your. Mother. Paying. Her. Way. On. Her. Back." That was probably the worst thing he's ever said and insinuated to a girl, but she didn't him much of a choice with the tormenting rumours she's been spreading. The whole school believes her like it's the gospel truth.

Rouge brought her hand back and slapped him but he caught her wrist. "Now, leave me and my friends alone and run back home with your daddy issues." He sneered as he felt chills down his back. He got sudden flashes of his father and he hated himself for it. He never wanted to become him. Ever.

She pulled her hand out of his hand but sliced up his left cheek with her nails.

"What in the world do you two think you are doing? To the principal's office with the both of you! I'm calling your parents." A yelling teacher barrelled at them, making Rouge's group of 'friends' scatter but Tails and Charmy stayed by Benedict's side. A difference between true friends and fake friends.

Benedict followed the teacher with Rouge in silence. His mind went to what look Kiera would have on her face when she would arrive. Anger? Disappointment? Annoyance? All of the above, he was sure, and he didn't want to find out but it was time he defended himself. He would never hit a woman and he didn't, he stopped her from hitting him but still got hurt in the process.

 _I should have stayed in bed._


	5. Chapter 5

**_CHAPTER FIVE_**

It was not even an hour of waiting outside of the headteachers office in silence before he could hear and feel her footsteps and that look in her eyes. With his head down, staring at the tiled flooring her navy heavy duty boots came into his view and stopped right in front of him. He didn't need to look at her to know that she was far from happy with him, she held an aura around her that always seemed to say, 'piss off' and today was no different.

He tried to explain himself to her. "Kiera, I-"

"Don't say another word." And he didn't, he knew better than to rebel against her or even disrespect her as much as it would highly irritate and displease her, she is like their father in this respect. Nothing comes between her and her family but that's a more complicated issue now.

She took a hold of his chin in one hand, lifting his head up and his eyes met hers. She scanned the dark red marks on his cheek. "Stay quiet and I'll do the talking." Kiera let go of his chin and he nodded.

Kiera walked into the head teachers office. It was a decent sized room for an office, a large window to let the sunlight in through the blinds, a large dark oak desk with a leather chair, on the opposite side were two cushioned chairs. One was occupied by a someone she gathered that he was a guardian of some kind over the girl that hurt her little brother.

The head teacher stood up from his chair to greet her. "Thank you for coming as quickly as you did, Miss Lone Wolf, Mr Hedgehog." Kiera nodded, and he motioned her to sit down, which she did.

Her eyes met with the hedgehog's dark crimson eyes for a moment before giving her full attention to the head teacher. "From what Rouge and Benedict have told me separately as well as the teacher that witnessed and escorted them to my office, it has come to my attention that Rouge may have been bullying Benedict and today he seemed to have had enough and defended himself causing the altercation."

 _May have, seemed to…causing the 'altercation', such delicate words for a serious incident between his own pupils._ Kiera wasn't happy but remained silent as she listened to the man but the hedgehog beside her wasn't so keen on keeping his resolve through the explanation.

He hissed through his teeth. "Rouge told me what happened, and the boy attacked her first."

"Excuse me?" Kiera tilted her head, angling it toward him, her hand gripping the arm rest of the chair.

She continued, she would defend her little brother until her very last breath and no high and mighty guy would ever change that. "Benedict wouldn't hurt anyone, never less a girl, he hates violence and never stoop so low to result hurting a woman – she clawed at his face and I have no doubt that his skin cells lie beneath those witch nails of hers."

He didn't say anything after that, he had nothing to defend Rouge with and he knew it and it looked like he didn't want to defend her in the first place. Looks like there's no love lost there. Their little spat wasn't exactly professional or mature in any respect in front of the head teacher.

He cleared his throat. "Due to the nature of the incident, both will be suspended for the next three days starting tomorrow."

Kiera nodded. "Of course." She took that as a que that they were done here. The three of them got up from their chairs.

She came face to face with Rouge's guardian and glared at him before leaving the office and walking toward Benedict. "Come."

He got up from the bench, slinging his backpack around his shoulder and onto his back and walking quickly with her as he tried to keep up with her. "What happened?" He asked.

"You're suspended for three days." She acted like it was no big deal but it is one for him, that'll be on his record.

Benedict grasped her forearm and pulled gently, stopping her and making her look at him. "What?"

Kiera rolled her eyes. "It's not the end of the world, it's just three days." She pulled her arm out of his hand and headed out of the school with him.

* * *

Rouge stood up as soon as she saw her step-brother exit the head teachers office after Kiera did. "So, what's the verdict?"

He stepped over to her, his hands landing on his hips as he towered over his step-sister. "What kind of stupid vendetta do you have against that kid?"

She stood her ground against him. "Who cares?"

He brought his hand up and dragged it down his face. "You're just like your mother that you hate so much. Vindictive, selfish, insecure bitchy little twat. You are suspended for three days and I am removing all technology and even the Wi-Fi from you for those three days."

Her eyes widened at that. "You're punishing me over this? Like you haven't done worse when you were at school, you're a hypocrite, Shadow."

His eyes darkened at her as his jaw clenched. "Don't even attempt to know what I was like and whether my behaviour or even your own is okay. None of this is okay. Do you think it's funny tormenting that boy? You struck him and there are marks on his face."

She shrugged, and that infuriated him. "I don't care."

"Oh, I think you'll care when all of that money from your 'daddy' is gone away once he finds out exactly what you did to that boy." A mild threat but an effective one by any means.

Rouge glared daggers at him. "You wouldn't dare."

"I would, perhaps it'll teach you some morality and decent concern for other people's emotions."

She shook her head, her hands on her hips. "Okay, Doctor Phil, we get the picture."

"You and those idiotic airhead friends of yours will leave that boy alone, and I want to hear you say it. With meaning."

Rouge bit the inside of her cheek but gave in to his demands. "I, nor my friends, will touch or harm a hair on his stupid head. Scouts honour."

* * *

Benedict was laid on his back on his bed, staring at the ceiling as Kiera's music played softly down the hall and into his room. His phone buzzed in his pants pocket and he pulled it out, bringing it up to his face and eye view. It was a message from Cream in the group chat, followed by messages from Charmy and Tails.

 ** _Cream: Ben, are you okay? What happened?_**

 ** _Charmy: That was so badass, the whole school is talking about it and you but, yeah, you good though?_**

 ** _Benedict: I'm suspended for three days and I'm okay._**

 ** _Tails: What did you sister do?_**

 ** _Benedict: She literally just told me to just shut up and take the consequences in the nicest way possible._**

 ** _Charmy: and how nice was that?_**

 ** _Benedict: She just said to sit my ass down and don't say anything while she sorted it out with the principal._**

 ** _Cream: She seems nice._**

 ** _Benedict: She can be but she's very protective over her family._**

 ** _Tails: I bet, what're you going to do for the next three days?_**

 ** _Benedict: Not a lot, finish some homework, watch Netflix and probably ask to join whatever Kiera's doing that day._**

 ** _Charmy: You're such a party animal._**


	6. Chapter 6

**_CHAPTER SIX_**

It was day one into his three-day suspension from school, it was midday and he was already bored. He was sat on the sofa in the living room, watching an old movie on Netflix. Kiera has been going from room to room slowly and he wasn't exactly sure what she was up, but he wasn't sure he should ask. She didn't say much after they got home after the incident at school the day before.

He didn't know how she felt about what happened yesterday. Her body said she was pissed but her voice said, 'not to worry about it'. He turned his body to look behind the sofa to look over at Kiera who was leaning on her forearms on the kitchen counter writing on a notepad, deep in thought.

He called out to her. "Kiera?"

She looked up from the notepad and met his gaze. "Yes?" Her eyes were dark as if she hasn't slept in a while.

"Are you okay?" He asked, and he meant it, he really wanted to know if she was. She never talks about how she is feeling openly, and he rarely asks fearing that she won't be truthful, or she'll push him away.

Her eyes narrowed at him. "What? I'm fine."

"That's what people who are not fine say." Benedict got up from the sofa, walking around it to pad towards her.

She put the pen down on the notepad, giving her full attention to her brother. "What is it that you're getting at exactly?"

"You haven't said anything about how you're feeling about what I did yesterday, I want to know how you're feeling. You never say anything. Please, just say something." Benedict begged her, and her eyes softened.

"I didn't know you felt this way about me." She glanced at her hands.

Benedict walked into the kitchen and took a hold of her hands. "You're my sister, and I love you. How you are feeling means everything to me, Kiera."

"It's just…been a while, a really long ass time actually, since anyone cared about how I felt like you do."

That really made his heart ache.

He pulled her into a hug and she slowly reciprocated his embrace. "Promise me something, Kiera."

"What?"

"That'll you'll be more open about your feelings with me or how you day was even if it was mediocre or even a crappy ass day."

She took a beat to answer. "I can't promise I'll be fully open all at once, but I'll try. For you, Benny."

That was all he wanted from her since the start, he just wanted her to authentically _her_. No walls but he knew there would always be walls upon walls around her heart but even a few less of those walls for him would be more than enough. It was probably asking too much of her, but he just wanted his sister back and not the woman she is right in front of him. Closed off, vigilant and full of a need for self-preservation, that's what the world made her to be and is not who she is.

Kiera used to be happier, she would smile and laugh more often and easier back then. She took care of all of her brothers like they were her own children even if they were older than her. She was daddy's princess and then one day she wasn't anymore, then came the hostility and hurt, and then she just left. He still doesn't fully understand why to this very day, but he was sure he would find out one of these days when he came into Kiera's life and home. Hopefully, with this revelation and promise between them, he might find out what really happened between her and their parents – and mostly their father.

He was never the same after that day.

It was like she was his light and when she left, so did it and so did he.

The family floundered but endured and the rest of their brothers either stayed or split off to find whatever they were looking for. It was either adventure, purpose, and ambition or even love itself. They check in, but it is always brief. He hoped it would change one day but even he has to admit that its wishful thinking or a fool's errand to even imagine their family all back together, happy and not a dysfunctional mess.

But that's not realistic, is it?

Kiera pulled back from his hug. "As an answer to your earlier question: yes, really, I am okay."

"You are? What about what happened yesterday?" He was genuinely concern with what she was thinking about the whole ordeal.

She put her hand on his shoulder, softly rubbing it for his comfort. "Lorenzo has done much worse when he was at school. You are the sweetest and most gentle boy I've ever met, I know you would never intentionally hurt a girl. You're not like that. So, take these days to relax and mellow out, you have so many things going on inside that head of yours. Some chilling out is in order for you."

He nodded and took a deep breath. She was right, she always happened to be right like their mother. "How are you so cool with this?"

Kiera raised an eyebrow. "Have you met me?" she said with a smirk on her lips.

She had a point, that he knew.

She turned away from him and took the notepad from the counter, leaving the pen on the side. "Oh, I'm not going to tell them if that's what you're thinking." She said as she started to walk out of the kitchen and she took one last look at him.

His brow furrowed. "How?"

"Again: have you met me? And, also, I really don't want them storming down here because of it. This is my home and I don't want them here."

This time, he saw through that. "You mean, you don't want _him_ here?"

She didn't say anything and left the kitchen and then the house, and into her car – he figured that whatever she was writing was some kind of shopping list for food while he was suspended from school.

* * *

His friends were at school, sitting at their usual table at lunch but minus one player. Tails stared at the empty chair while he ate pre-cut pieces of apple from his lunch tray. Charmy gently shoved his shoulder into his, dragging him out of whatever trance he was in.

"Hey, you good?" Charmy asked and Tails nodded.

Cream spoke up. "Do you think he's okay? Really?"

The boys shared a glance and then looked at her. "I think so, he seemed to be okay in the group chat but those are just words on a screen." Tails said.

"Unless you count emojis."

Tails' face scrunched up. "He doesn't use emojis."

Charmy shrugged. "Still."

"So, you think he's putting on a brave face for us?" Cream drew them back.

Tails took a bite of a piece of his apple. "It's a possibility that he is, I mean, the way he talks about his sister. It means like she isn't the sharing type either when it comes to emotions."

Charmy nodded as he was taking a sip of his drink. "That's true, he said that it seemed like his sister was some stoic knight of the round table."

"Weren't they all men?" Cream asked.

Charmy shook his head. "We don't know that, there are loads of badass women who disguised themselves as men. Like Mulan and Joan of Arc!"

They all laughed at the idiocy of the way he went about proving his theory which gave Tails the confidence to tell Charmy and Cream what he's been hiding from them for a while now. He cleared his throat first.

"I, uh, I have something to tell you guys."

Charmy raised an eyebrow at him. "Ominous, but continue."

"Not that long ago I found out that was adopted."

Cream's eyes softened and looked at him with sad and concern filed eyes at that while Charmy had questions. "Like, _adopted_ adopted?"

Tails nodded. "I was looking through the attic and came across my adoption papers."

"Wow, and how do you feel about that?" Cream asked.

He shrugged half-heartedly, he still didn't know how he should really feel about any of this especially with all the high school drama they're surrounded by now. "I don't know, just numb, I guess. Like, I don't know what to feel? The natural reaction is to be angry, I mean, I don't think I am."

"You've accepted it basically."

Tails nodded. "Yeah, that seems about right but I do want to find out who my birth mother and father was or is."

Charmy thought for a second. "Shouldn't it say on your adoption papers?"

Tails shook his head. "It doesn't, it's one of those blind adoptions. No names and no questions asked, basically."

Charmy patted his shoulder in some sort of comforting gesture for him. "That sucks, man, I'm sorry."

"What have your adoptive parents said?" Cream asked while putting her drinks flask away in her bag.

Tails sighed. "Not a lot, it doesn't seem like they know anything useful or they don't want to know. It's confusing."


	7. Chapter 7

**_CHAPTER SEVEN_**

It was a very restless night for her.

She pressed the home button on her phone and watched as the screen lit up.

6:56am.

Kiera couldn't lie there anymore. She pushed her quilt off of her and got out of her bed, dropping her pyjama shirts and pulled new underwear on, leggings, a sports bra and a hoodie on. She slipped on ankle socks and her trainers on before grabbing her phone and keys. She paused her fast-paced footing in the kitchen as her mind went to her baby brother.

She had to remember to consider him now these days in whatever she was doing or else he would be worried about her. It's a weird feeling to her nowadays, a concern or worry about her wasn't something she felt since she was a teenager which now seemed like an age or two ago to her. That's something she'll have to learn again.

Kiera opened up a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out a shopping list notepad as well as a pen. She quickly scribbled down a note for Benedict and once she did, she unlocked the front door and exited her house, closing the door behind her. She needed to get out of that bed and out of that house.

She began walking down the street, pulling her phone out of her pocket and unravelling her ear phones, sticking them in her ears she played her running playlist. Her pace started off slow but rapidly picked up. Kiera wasn't sure of where she was going, and, in this moment, she didn't really care. She needed this time to think to herself.

Her mind wondered to her brother's incident with that cheerleader at the school and although she said she was fine with it, she kept her own opinions on it reserved to protect his feelings or her own – she didn't know. Benedict told her everything that led up and transpired between him and the girl, she was automatically on his side by default, but the story cemented her on the fact. She was more than thankful that the school called her instead of his parents, their parents. She didn't want to talk them or him over the phone or in person for that matter. She would ignore his calls and listen to the voicemails then text message/email her response to her mother instead of contacting her father.

Kiera would swerve and avoid her father at every given chance.

Just the thought of her father brought up memories of trauma filled with fear and anger and feelings she would rather fiercely represses and never think about again, you know, like a normal and mentally healthy person, of course.

She always thought that she would confront these emotions one day but today is definitely not that day and she doesn't see it happening any time soon – or revealing it to Benedict one of these days.

Kiera slowed down her pace to a casual walk as she wiped her sleepy eyes, they were darkened with circles under them. She glanced around at her surroundings and they were surprisingly familiar to her since she took a run in a random direction with twists and turns. She walked down the road and went up to a recognizable house.

She pressed the button of the doorbell and waited patiently through the cute jingle that played. The door slowly opened and a face that shared her tired looks answered with a glare.

"You do know what time it is, right?" Silver scowled at her.

Kiera smirked at him. "Says the one that has to get up and leave for school."

A sleepy and muffled female voice called out behind him, it was Blaze. "Silver? Who is it?"

"Kiera, the goddess of all things that are a pain in the ass." Silver grumbled as he opened the door wider, so Kiera can cross the threshold and into their home and she did. She closed the door behind her and followed them both into their open kitchen.

Blaze giggled as Kiera countered him with a retort. "Aw, you think I'm a goddess?"

Silver rolled his eyes and brought his mug of coffee to his face. "Someone has to."

"Ouch." She feigned hurt.

Kiera then turned to Blaze. "Does your husband talk like this to you too?" She smiled at her friend.

Blaze sat down at the kitchen island and slid a mug of black coffee to her. "Here, you look like you need it."

Kiera caught it and took a sip of it. "I need a lot of things, thanks."

Silver sat opposite them, flicking through a newspaper article of his tablet. "So, what brought you down to our neck of the woods especially at such an early time in the morning?"

"I didn't sleep well so I went out for a run with no destination in mind and I think my subconscious brought me here to you guys." Kiera explained as she rubbed her temple, taking a deep breath she took a couple deep gulps of her coffee.

Silver raised an eyebrow at her. "You really believe that?"

"No, of course not. Have you met me?"

Blaze rolled her eyes. "If it was your subconscious, what do you think it would be trying to tell you?"

Her brow furrowed as she thought it through. "Either my subconscious is telling me that I need to sort out some type of emotional shit with you guys or you have something you've been meaning to spill your guts to me about something – but that's just a guess."

Kiera caught the look that Silver and Blaze shared. "I saw that, you guys ain't slick. What is it?"

Blaze turned her body to face Kiera and took her free hand in her own. "I have, well, we have been wanting to tell you something for a while now."

Her darkened eyes narrowed at her and him, her jaw hardened at the revelation. "You couldn't tell me because you were either protecting my so-called feelings or afraid of my reaction – either way you don't trust me enough to tell me. My 'subconscious' dragged it out of you."

Well, she wasn't wrong.

Silver's eyes softened at her. "We're sorry, Kiera, but you've had a lot on your plate with Benedict and soon you're going to have Lorenzo with you on top of what happened with Benedict and Rouge."

Blaze tried to comfort her. "And we worry about you and I wanted it to be the perfect time to tell you."

"What is it?"

Blaze smiled at her friend. "I'm pregnant, we're having a baby."

Kiera blinked and brought her into a hug. "As I said once before, you'll be brilliant mother, and I guess that you'll be a good father as well, Silver."

He finished his mug of coffee. "I'm glad you have so much faith in me."

* * *

Benedict woke up around 9:25am and lounged in his bed until midday, looking through his emails on his phone. He got a few separate emails from his brothers asking how he was and how he was settling in, they downplayed the questions about Kiera, but he knew they really wanted to know how she was. As soon as he knows, he'll tell them.

He got out of his bed and walked out of his bedroom and went downstairs only to notice that he was alone in the house, once again, but this time he got a note off of Kiera which was a pleasant surprise. Their talk the day before must have made some sort of progress between them.

He sauntered into the kitchen and picked up the note to read it.

 ** _Benny,_**

 ** _I didn't get that much sleep, so I went for a run, I have my phone and keys on me so if you need me just call me. I don't know when I'll be home, so I'll do some food shopping while I am out today._**

 ** _If you're bored, then do some cleaning or sort out whatever's in the garage but don't touch my motorbike._**

 ** _Kiera_**

"Love you too." He mumbled after reading the letter, he was surprised to learn that she had a motorbike. He's always finding new things about her and being surprised by her but that's what will happen more often the more he stays with her. It was like, well, he didn't know what it was like or what she was like anymore. He was getting to know her again and he keeps trying to compare and contrast her against the person she was before she left when he was so young.

She was brighter, kind and she would dote on him. He would look forward to coming home and she would be there ready to give him a cuddle with a few chocolate-y treats. She was soft, happier and full of light but now…all that was gone. At times he felt like he was talking and living with a stranger. That light was gone, and she is hardly visibly happy around him, he keeps wondering about what happened that extinguished that light – was it her? Was it their father? Or someone else entirely? It racked his brain when he thought of her.

He wished he could talk to someone else about her, that wish will soon be answered when Lorenzo will make his appearance which will apparently be 'soon' according to Kiera. She was quite vague about the whole ordeal.

He actually wished that he could build up the courage to ask her straight about what happened all those years ago, but he needed to build their relationship back up right now. He'll have to put that specific set of questions aside for the time being but that won't stop the subject matter to no longer linger in his brain until that time comes.

"One day." He breathed out.

* * *

Kiera has been pushing around her shopping trolley around the supermarket for over an hour now. She has been figuring out meals for two for the next two weeks as well as some treats for them both and whatever deals are on in the lifestyle, bedding and bathroom sections. She saved the frozen foods for last, so she was going through alcohol aisle, she needed to refill her drinks cabinet.

She got two bottles of Prosecco, a case of Sol and a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey and put them at the end of her shopping trolley before pushing her trolley to the frozen food aisle when her eye caught the glimpse of a hedgehog and a bat.

Rouge caught sight of her first when she came out of the alcohol aisle and made a comment to Shadow at her expense. "She's hardly the best guardian for a kid, drunken bitch." She hissed lowly.

Kiera heard her easily.

Shadow glared at Rouge and hit her shoulder. "Ow." She groaned as she rubbed her shoulder.

"Be respectful, mind your own business and if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all." He surprised Kiera with that notion.

Rouge rolled her eyes. "Okay, Dr Seuss."

Shadow eye's met Kiera's and she mouthed a 'thank you', and he gave her a small smile. "Go get bread and milk, Rouge." He looked at her and ordered her away, so he could speak to Kiera privately, and with another roll of her eyes she left.

Shadow walked over to her with his own trolley. "I'm sorry about what happened between your brother and Rouge, she's very difficult and doesn't know human decency and your brother didn't deserve what he got."

She watched his features as he apologised to her for Rouge's actions, and she believed his words rang true. "Thank you, but you shouldn't be the one saying sorry."

He chuckled and nodded. "Quite true."

Kiera bent over the railing of the frozen trays to grab at the frozen bag of croquettes and his eyes lingered on her body. He stared at her ass and she definitely knew what he was looking at, she straightens up. "You're not every subtle, you know?"

He cleared his throat, but his eyes never left her. With a smirk on his lips, he spoke. "Can't help but stare at a beautiful woman."

Kiera rolled her eyes. "That's the best line you could come up with? You should try harder if you want to get anywhere with me."

Shadow chuckled but a noise of disgust was heard, Rouge came back and witnessed that train wreck. "That was horrifying." She scoffed.


	8. Chapter 8

**_CHAPTER EIGHT_**

Tails' phone buzzed in his pocket at their lunch table, he pulled out his phone and smiled at the notification. He lifted his head up to Charmy and Cream. "It's a text from Benedict."

Charmy looked at him like he was idiot. "Well, what did he say?"

He read the text message from their friend to them.

 ** _Benedict: It's Friday, the last day of my suspension and I'm going stir crazy alone in the house, do you, Charmy and Cream want to come over after school?_**

Charmy looked at Cream and Tails. "So, are we going to his house or not?"

Cream shrugged. "I'll have to ask my parents, but I don't think they'll say yes since its all-boys."

"Maybe tell them that Ben's sister will be there which she most likely will be." Tails thought as he took a bite out of a carrot stick.

Cream took that into consideration. "That could maybe work."

"Shoot your mum or dad a text." Charmy said as he pulled his own phone out to let his own parents know that he'll be home late.

Tails changed the text thread from Benedict to his 'mother' and messaged her the same thing Charmy and Cream are. They all got responses fairly quickly as it was the middle of the day, they all got a free pass to go to Benedict's, but Cream's parents took a little more convincing, but they got there in the end.

 ** _Tails: Charmy, Cream and I are all good to go to your house after school._**

 ** _Benedict: I'll send you my address._**

 ** _Tails: Will you sister be cool about us there?_**

 ** _Benedict: She literally won't care, she's not even here and I don't know when she'll be back so you're good._**

Hours later, they walked out of school and all the way and soon the trio were all sat in the living room of his home with Benedict and no sign of his sister.

Charmy and Benedict was seated on the three-seater sofa while Tails and Cream were sat opposite each other on single chairs with a coffee table in the middle of all of them. There was a bowl of crisps in the middle of the coffee table and a plethora of drinks on coasters as well.

"So, how's your suspension going? How did your parents take it?" Cream asked before taking a sip from her glass of water.

Benedict shrugged. "A bit boring, there isn't a lot to do around here other than read my sisters books, watch television, listen to her vinyl records or clean the house. My parents don't know about what happened with Rouge and they won't any time soon." He explained as he did share a bit of Kiera's displeasure of their parents but not for the same reasons she holds.

Tails raised his eyebrows, he was surprised at that. "They don't know?"

Benedict nodded.

"Why not?" Charmy asked.

He decided to answer for himself and not for his sister. "I didn't want to hear any long-winded lectures from my parents and it was Kiera's choice not to call them."

"Her choice?" Cream probed gently.

Benedict took a swig of his cola before answering. "Years ago, when I was too young to understand, something bad happened between my parents and my sister and then she left us. That was the last time I saw her until I came here."

Her eyes softened at that story, her voice small and soft. "What happened to your sister?"

Benedict shook his head. "I don't know, I really don't. I want to ask her, I do, but now's not the time. I can barely get her to open up to me right now, asking about what happened will just worsen the situation. It will make her withdraw from me, and the progress I've made with her will be all for nought." He dragged a hang down his face as he thought about her, what happened years before and he can't remember anything about it. He was too young to even understand what was happening with her or their parents.

He was open and vulnerable to his friends as his voice went small. "I don't want to lose her again."

Charmy breathed out a sigh. "That's…dysfunctional, to say the least."

Benedict scoffed with a sad smile. "You don't say."

"Look, your sister sounds like one of those secretive, reserved and closed off types. Maybe, let her come to you?" Charmy offered him partial advice.

"She is like that but she's…like a whole different person to the one I knew as a child, and if I let her come to me, I'll be waiting forever at this point." He sighed, and he knew that was true about her.

Tails softly patted his arm. "You'll get there with her and you won't lose her."

He looked at his friend. "How do you know that?"

"I don't know, but I have faith."

Charmy gagged. "What cheesy tv shows and chick flick movies have you been watching?" They all laughed together but were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing. They all turned to look over to the open kitchen when Kiera walked past with two bright blue shopping bags in her hands. She still had earbuds in her ears with music playing, she gave no attention to whatever was happening in the living room.

They watched as Kiera put the bags on the counter and pulled the earbuds out of her ears by the cord, wrapping it around her phone and placing beside the bread bin. She looked up and saw her baby brother and three other kids that weren't blood relatives.

Her eyes narrowed at them. "Friends of yours, I assume?"

"Yeah, that's Charmy, Tails and Cream." Benedict nodded and pointed to each friend as he introduced them to her.

She started to pull out food products from the bags and began putting them away in the fridge, freezer and cupboards while she spoke to them. "Well, if you didn't know already, my name is Kiera and I am Benny's big sister and guardian for the foreseeable future. It is nice to meet you all." She went through the usual pleasantries as politely as she could – she's not that good at meeting new people but she'll try to make an effort for Benedict's friends.

"Benny?" Charmy asked with a smug smile on his lips.

He glared at him. "Shut up."

Kiera laughed. "You kids staying for dinner? It's pepperoni pizza or if you like pineapple of your pizza then you know where the door is."

Charmy laughed with her. "I like her."

"We'd love to stay for dinner, Kiera." Tails smiled at her from where he was sat.

She balled up the plastic bags and placed them under the sink. "I'll give you all a ride back home after."

"You don't have to do that." Cream started to say but his sister was in a particularly good mood which surprised him.

Kiera smiled back at the girl. "Don't worry about it – so, when do you want dinner or are you kids hungry now?"

The four of them shared a look and then back at Kiera. "I'll take that as a now."

While she cooked two large pizzas, the four of them stayed around the kitchen to chat around and with Kiera which she found endearing and sweet of them. She had them set the table while she pulled the pizzas out of the oven and transferred them onto large plates and sliced them up evenly before serving them at the dining table.

Tails sat down beside Cream and opposite Benedict. "This looks amazing, Kiera."

"I just did what it said on the label." She chuckled as she sat at the head of the table.

Charmy pulled two pieces onto his plate. "Pizza is truly the nectar of the gods."

"Next to burgers." Cream added as she took two slices of pizza as well.

Benedict took a bite out his slice before asking Kiera something. "When is Lorenzo going to make an appearance?"

"I'm picking him up at the airport while you are at school on Monday." She said it as if it was normal information he would know but he doesn't.

He nodded. "Who's Lorenzo? If you don't mind me asking." Tails asked, his eyes looking back and forth between Benedict and Kiera.

"Our older brother, the first born. He's coming to stay with us on due to his bad behaviour." She explained, finishing her slice of pizza.

Charmy's brow furrowed. "Bad behaviour?"

Kiera took a sip from her glass of water. "He has quite the temper and our parents believe that I can put it in check."

"That's a lot to put on someone." Cream said as she wiped away any excess from her mouth.

Kiera shrugged. "I can take it."

 _Can you?_ Benedict thought as he met her eyes and shared a hidden look with her.


	9. Chapter 9

**_CHAPTER NINE_**

Benedict walked into the school building, walking to his first lesson of the day and he got a lot of looks from his fellow peers from his same year, years below him and above. He knew why he was getting those looks but he wasn't so sure on what kind of emotion or feeling they were filled with. His eyes lit up when he saw Tails and Charmy waiting for him outside his English classroom, he smiled at them and they returned the favour.

Charmy greeted him first. "Welcome back to the land of the pitiful, Benny."

"Only my sister can call me that." Benedict rolled his eyes and adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder.

He raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. So, how do you feel about being back?"

Benedict shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't feel any different from my first day here with all of the eyes on me except I actually have friends this time round, so I do actually feel better about it."

Tails smiled at him. "That's good, and Rouge seems to be staying clear of us, so I think you're in the clear."

"That's a good thing, at least." Benedict muttered as he looked around, a lot of eyes and whispers which made him feel uneasy knowing it was about him.

Charmy hit his arm gently to gain his attention. "Hey, isn't your sister getting your older brother today?"

Benedict nodded. "Yeah, she dropped me off and headed straight to the airport to pick Lorenzo up."

Tails' brow furrowed as his mind wondered. "How many siblings do you have? I'm pretty sure your sister said something about Lorenzo being the 'first born' last night?" He had a point.

"Well, there's me, Kiera, Lorenzo, Thaddeus, Terrador and the twins Aidan and Arthur, so seven altogether."

Tails and Charmy shared a look of disbelief and he was confused. "What? Is that a lot?"

* * *

Kiera parked her car in the collections bay and sent a text to Lorenzo that she was there and what part of the car park she was in. She got out of the vehicle and placed her phone in her army bomber jacket and leaned against the front of the car as she waited for him.

Her eyes caught sight of him. He was as tall as she remembered but with more built muscle and a few bruises and small cuts on his face. Even though his face was lightly beaten he still wore a bright smile when he saw her. When he reached her, he dropped his bags and brought her into a big bear hug.

She was stiff in the first few moments of the hug but then slowly returned it. It was foreign to her, a big warm hug filled with unconditional love and support. She felt so distant and disconnected from him and the rest of her siblings.

He pulled away from her, a smile still on his lips. "It's been a while, little sister."

"Over a decade and my name is Kiera, thank you very much." She picked up one of his bags and walked around her car. Opening up the boot, she placed his bag in the back of the car.

Lorenzo picked up his other bag and followed her, chucking it beside the other bag in the boot on her car. "You are as full of sass as I remember, got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"

She rolled her eyes as she closed the boot of her car with a slam. "Trust me, you'll know if I got up on the wrong side of the bed." They split and went around the car and got into the driver and passenger seats of her car.

Kiera ignited the engine of the car and started to drive out of the car park of the airport. "So, mother and father said you're babysitting Benny, how's he been?" Lorenzo asked, looking at his sister as she drove them back to her home.

She was honest to him about Benedict's transgressions while in her charge. "He has some cute little friends now, I've met them and they're quite the little troupe together which I'm glad about."

"Why am I sensing a 'but' here?" He raised his eyebrows.

She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. "He had an unfortunate interaction with the head cheerleader and had a three-day suspension. He didn't hurt her, but she did strike him." She explained with as few words as she could.

Lorenzo leant back in his seat and let out a breath. "Well, I'm proud of him for sticking up for himself. He was always the shyest and reserved of all of us including yourself."

"So am I." She muttered under her breath, but he heard her.

Now, his focus was on her. "Now, what about you? What have you been up to all these years?"

Her jaw hardened. "Nothing."

He looked at her with hard disbelief and narrowed eyes. "Really? Nothing? _Nothing_? After all these years you've done nothing?"

She cemented her response.

"Nothing."

Lorenzo chose to go with the hard way with her. "You are just like father, the same mannerisms and the same recycled speech pattern. He was always so secretive and never _ever_ showed his emotions or what he's thinking – just like you."

She stayed silent, but he continued to verbally drill into her.

"You ran away from him only just to become him."

Her hands gripped the wheel so tightly it made her knuckles whiten at the pressure. "You may have the looks of our mother but you are definitely our father's daughter."

She barely snapped. "It's not any of your business what or who I am like or even what I even feel."

"I'm your brother." He countered her.

That highly annoyed her and she hated that saying, it was like he had a claim on her and her emotions which he did not. "Not for a long time you haven't."

Then it was just silence for the whole rest of the ride back to her house and it was deafening until he broke it.

"What are you plans for me then?" He was referring to the whole reason their parents ordered him to go down to where Kiera lived to get his 'anger' in check.

She parked up in the driveway, cutting off the engine. "You'll see, brother."

Lorenzo unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car while Kiera stayed in the drivers seat, he was confused. His brow furrowed at her. "What are you doing?"

"Your bedroom for the foreseeable future is in the basement, I have something else to do but I'll need you to pick up Benny from school. The address is on the fridge."

He nodded. "And how will I pick him up without a car?"

She rolled her eyes and got out of the car. "I'll walk." She locked the car after he got his bags out of the boot of the car, then she tossed him her keys.

She started to walk away from the house, he called out to her. "Where are you going?"

Kiera turned while walking away to face him. "Away from you!"

"Love you too!"

* * *

Blaze sat down with Kiera on the sofa in front of the fireplace, handing her a warm beverage. "So, now you have two brothers in your home and you feel…?"

She took a sip of the tea. "I feel trapped."

Blaze softly stroked her knee, in an attempt to comfort or console whatever she is feeling. "You've been alone for the last ten or so years and now you have them showing up in your home, you feel caged because it was your safe place and now it isn't anymore."

"Pretty much."

She wished she could make it better for her friend. "There's something else, isn't there?"

Kiera nodded. "I can feel my parents, _him_ , trying to push and claw their way back into my life and they're using Benedict and Lorenzo to do so."

"And you don't want them to, but you care for Benedict now."

Kiera nodded. "I do…"

It was an impossible situation for her and all Blaze could do was be there for her friend.

* * *

Benedict was sat in the grass out in the courtyards with Tails, Charmy and Cream. They were sat is some sort of circle. He was staring at the pamphlet they all got at the start of the day.

 **THIS YEAR'S SADIE HAWKINS DANCE**

 **NOVEMBER 17** **TH** **7:30PM GYM**

 **ORGANISED BY THE PROM COMMITTEE**

 **TICKETS GO ON SALE IN TWO WEEKS**

 **BE QUICK AND HAVE FUN!**

"Why do I feel like this is some sort of distraction from what happened between me and Rouge?" Benedict brought up as he looked up from the pamphlet.

Charmy took the pamphlet from him to have look at it. "Because it is, plus, we're not that stupid to not recognise a distraction when we see one."

"Would this be your first dance, Ben?" Cream asked.

Benedict shook his head. "Not really, my mother loved to dance when she was my age so she would teach me, but I've never been to a Sadie Hawkins dance – what is it?"

Tails leaned back on his forearms in the grass. "It's when the girls ask the guys to go to the dance with them."

"The old switch-a-roo."

He nodded, and Benedict's eyes caught sight of a group of cheerleaders walking past and they followed his line of sight.

"A distraction for a lot or an opportunity for some?"


	10. Chapter 10

**_CHAPTER TEN_**

Leaving Silver and Blaze's house was an internal struggle, she really didn't want to leave and head back to her house with her house guests that seem to just keep coming and making her life more difficult and less quiet that she would like. She knew she should feel differently about her own family members, but a lot has happened in this family for her to not feel sentimental about them anymore. Now, she cares more for Benedict, but Lorenzo has a long way to go in her eyes.

They all do.

She walked up the stone pathway to her house, and she could see that the living room and kitchen lights were on but none of the lights upstairs were on, so her brothers would be waiting on her arrival. On remembering giving her car and house keys to Lorenzo, she knelt down and removed the spare key from inside a fake rock in from a rose bush beside the door.

Unlocking the door, she entered the house, closing and locking the door behind her. She would make sure to set a reminder on her phone to return the spare key into the faux rock the next morning.

Kiera heard two voices coming from the kitchen, she didn't need to take time to figure out who it was in her home. Something was definitely cooking by the smell of things. She took a moment to ready herself for incessant questions of where she's been and what she has been doing which is something she really didn't want right now or ever. She leaned down and unlaced her boots and placing them on the shoe rack, she removed her bomber jacket and put it with the others on the coat rack.

A voice called out to her. "Aren't you going to join us, lost girl?"

She blinked and then slowly made her way into the kitchen where she met Benedict and Lorenzo cooking up a storm. Her eyes caught what was on the stove, a stir fry of all things.

"Lost girl?" She asked, meeting Lorenzo's eyes then glancing over to Benedict.

He shrugged. "We watched Peter Pan."

Her eyes narrowed and said no more and moved over to the stove, looking over what he was cooking. She reached to stir whatever is in the pan and Lorenzo batted her hands away. "No, no, I'm cooking. No, backseat cooking."

Benedict side glanced at Kiera. "Is that even a thing?"

She deeply side and shook her head. "I don't even know anymore." Kiera walked away from the stove and sat down at the kitchen island with Benedict.

"Let's play twenty questions." Lorenzo announced while stirring away, making sure nothing is burned or burning.

She glared at him. "Let's not."

He ignored her. "Where did you go after you ditched me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Does it matter?"

"Yes, Benny was worried."

Guilt trip. "I went to a friend's house, and that's all you need to know."

Lorenzo turned off the stove, raising an eyebrow at her. "You have friends?"

"Yes, surprisingly, I have friends."

Benedict realised that was not a fabricated lie to het Lorenzo off her back, she does have friends. One of his teachers told him so. "She does, he's one of my teachers."

He started plating the stir fry on three separate plates. "A he? Just a friend?"

"Oh my god, no. He's married with a pregnant wife who is also my friend." She groaned and turned away from him, removing herself from the island. He laughed as they took their plates to the dining room table.

They all sat down at the table and it was the pinnacle of an awkward family dinner without the whole family, which she prays to any and all of the gods that never ever happens. That's actual nightmares that she has.

Benedict needed to break this silence. "So, um, what are your plans for Lorenzo?"

Kiera took a bite of chicken before answering him. "I'm going to take him to Black Foot."

Lorenzo looked concerned. "That really sounds inviting."

"It's a gym."

"Oh."

A silence, again. "When are we going?"

A little payback for this morning. "In an hour."

"What? Are you kidding?" He leaned back in his chair, looking at her in disbelief.

She stared right back at him. "Does it look like I'm kidding?"

Benedict shook his head. She never looked like she was kidding, he was very glad he wasn't Lorenzo right now. "You're actually doing what mother and father are telling you to do?"

There was a devilish smile across her lips. "When it really annoys the hell out of you, I do."

"This is outrageous, what are actually going to do in the gym that I don't do already?" Lorenzo asked, crossing his arms over his chest with a smile on his face but that quickly dropped.

"Who said we'll be actually using the gym?"

He looked over at Benedict. "I always knew we had an evil sibling."

* * *

Shadow was in the kitchen, quickly throwing his house keys, wallet and file folder into his bag, he glanced over at the clock on the wall. He frowned, he was going to be late at this rate but he had one more thing to take care of. He zipped up his bag and grabbed his car keys before rushing up the stairs and to his step-sisters bedroom.

He knocked on the door before opening it, getting a loud reaction from her. "What the hell? What do you want?" She was on her canopy bed, laying on her stomach staring into her phone and still wearing the clothes she wore to school that day.

"I'm going to be working late tonight."

Rouge rolled her eyes, typing away on her phone. "I don't see why you bother since we're loaded."

"For one thing, 'we' are not loaded by any means. My father and your mother are loaded, everything you're surrounded by was paid for by them. As for why I bother having a job, I'd rather be doing something I actually enjoy with my life than sat on my arse all day taking selfies for Instagram and Snapchat." He smirked with pride from the look of shock and disgust on her face.

"Right, whatever."

He said one last thing before he left. "Behave."

"Fine! Go away!" She groaned as he left without shutting her door. Dropping her phone on her bed, she got off the bed and walked over to push the door closed. She rolled her eyes and returned to her bed.

Opening up the group chat to her friends, she asked them about the Sadie Hawkins dance.

 ** _Rouge: thoughts on the dance, ladies?_**

 ** _Amy: I'm definitely going, I don't know whether I'm going to ask anyone though._**

 ** _Sally: I'm going to ask Sonic, what about you, girls?_**

 ** _Fiona: do you have to ask him if you're already dating him?_**

 ** _Mina: and you're taking a motorcycle dude, aren't you?_**

 ** _Fiona: um, what?_**

 ** _Rouge: Totally saw you making out with that guy with the leather jacket from the party, Fi._**

 ** _Fiona: Shit, well, I might but I don't think he'll want to go to a high school dance._**

 ** _Mina: Don't know until you ask, who are you taking, Rouge?_**

 ** _Rouge: can't be bothered with that, so I'll go with one of you girls._**

 ** _Sally: sounds like a plan._**

 ** _Fiona: isn't that kid that got suspended with you gonna be there?_**

 ** _Rouge: Maybe_**

 ** _Amy: are you gonna do anything?_**

Rouge read that message a few times over before considering the fallout that could happen, but she didn't care right now.

 ** _Rouge: any ideas?_**

 ** _Fiona: I might have some..._**

* * *

"Looks like someone knows their way around a boxing ring." Lorenzo commented at one end, leaning on the elastic ropes in the left corner.

Kiera's back was to him as she tightened the glove on her hand. "I suppose."

He titled his head looking at her quizzically. "How'd you find out about the boxing ring under the gym?"

"The guys running it weren't that smart when trying to hide it, a little observation and blackmail and here we are." Kiera turned to him, clad in black leggings and a sports bra, she motioned for him to come to her.

He pushed himself out the corner, dressed in grey and blue sports shorts, walking over to her. "Blackmail?"

She shrugged and hit him with a body shot to the ribs. He tried to hit her with the uppercut with she was fast on her feet. "Ten years." He said and a hit to her arm.

"Give or take." A shot to his shoulder.

They circled each other in the ring. "You wanna tell me why now?" Kiera knew what he was referring to, she didn't need to ask at all.

"Nope." She dodged him.

He groaned. "All of these secrets and no one to tell them to."

"They."

A hit.

"Wouldn't."

Another hit.

"Be."

An uppercut.

"Secrets."

A kick to the abdomen.

"If people knew about them."

He removed his head guard, staring at her. "Will you ever let me in?"

She removed hers and gave him the truth. "No."

His jaw clenched. "Will you let Benny in?" Kiera glared at him, turning away from him she started to remove her gloves. He practically ripped his off, and grabbed her arm so she would look at him dead in the eye.

He got a punch to the nose instead.

* * *

Benedict ran out of books to read in his room so he peered into Kiera's bedroom as her door was ajar, and if he didn't change anything that she would notice. No harm, no foul. He walked over to her bookshelves and went from shelf to shelf looking for an interesting book to read when his eyes caught a title of a novel.

Death is Not Enough.

He pulled it out and quickly skimmed through the pages when something fell out, he hoped it wasn't a bookmark.

His eyes narrowed at the object now on the ground, it was a polaroid photo. He kneeled down and picked it up. Flipping it over, he came face to face with a photo of Kiera and a guy that looked very couple-y. He read what was under the photo.

19th birthday.

That was two months before she left.

He quickly put the book back in itself place and hastily left the bedroom but with the polaroid still in his hand.

 _Kiera, what happened to you?_


	11. Chapter 11

_**CHAPTER ELEVEN**_

He tossed and turned in his duvet eventually kicking it down at then end of the bed, he exhaled a breath of frustration. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't will himself to fall asleep. Benedict blinded pulled his phone from the charging port on the bedside table and brought it to his face.

His eyes squinted as the bright screen glared at him as he unlocked it, dimming down the brightness, he checked the time and sighed.

2:23am.

If he couldn't fall asleep in the past four hours, he won't in the next. He brought up the photo gallery on his phone and pressed the first image in recent photos.

It was a quick photo of the polaroid that he found in Kiera's bedroom which really unnerved him and only brought even more questions and even less answers. He did originally take the polaroid but Kiera would notice something different so he put it back when she wasn't around but did snap a quick pic of it.

He reread what she wrote under the photo: 19th birthday.

Exactly two months before she left and never looked back. It confused him more than the Matrix films did and so did she. He thought back to that very night that rocked and flipped his childhood and family upside down, he was only five years old and he doesn't remember a lot of it but something did stick out to him in his memories.

* * *

 **Ten or more years ago**...

 _It was a cloudy, dark night in the winter months. Benedict was sound asleep in his Star Wars centric bedroom and rocking his Scooby Doo pyjamas._

 _The door slowly cracked open, making no noise and simple crept in making sure not to step on any toys and Lego pieces._

 _It was Kiera, she quietly knelt down at the side of his bed where his head was facing. She watched him for a few minutes almost memorizing him for the what she has to do next. Her hand ghosted over his free shoulder and slowly rocked it._

 _He grumbled and whined in his sleep. She lowly shushed him and he instantly recognised who it was that was waking him._

 _"Kier-wa?"_

 _She smiled sadly at him and nodded. "It's me, don't get up, Benny. I just have to tell you some things and you can go back to sleep, okay?"_

 _Benedict nodded sleepily, rubbing his eyes with the sleeves of his pyjama shirt. "What?"_

 _"I just want to tell you that I love you with all of my heart and don't ever forget that, not for a second. You may not see me for awhile but I'll always be with you in your heart." Kiera wiped her eyes as tears threatened to escape but she was stronger than that, she could make it through this._

 _"I wuv you too, don't cry, Kier-wa." He held her hand._

 _She smiled with tears in her eyes. "You are so sweet, Benny, you have such a kind soul. Much better than mine and you deserve the world. You're more deserving than I of that."_

 _She took a deep breath. "I love you."_

 _And then she was gone._

* * *

 **Present time...**

The next time he saw her was when she picked him up not that long ago and now here he is, living in her house with their eldest brother Lorenzo. He sighed and opened up his group chat, he knew they wouldn't answer but he needed to get this off his chest and get some solid advise from his friends. He was too close to this, so personal and so much emotion. He couldn't think clearly.

Maybe they could.

 **Benedict: I found an old photo of Kiera and some guy on her 19th birthday, I've never seen him before. There's something there, I can feel it. Should I confront her about it or should I ask Enzo about it first? I honestly don't know what to do anymore.**

He sent it and plugged his phone back into the charging port, lay back and tried to get some sleep. Thankfully, he did.

He woke up in the morning and took a quick shower, he came back to his bed with a towel wrapped around his waist. He sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed his phone, checking his messages.

 **Charmy: bite the bullet, ask your sister**

 **Cream: I would, as you, ask your brother first. He was old enough to remember what happened and more likely to answer you than Kiera**

 **Tails: valid point**

 **Charmy: Fine, fine, ask the brother**

 **Benedict: thanks guys**

He locked his phone and got himself ready, he wasn't going to spend all day in his bedroom although he wanted to do. There was too much on his mind. He put pants on and a navy hoodie on before going downstairs.

He looked around and there was no sign of Kiera, not a surprise though. Benedict strolled into the kitchen as his stomach rumbled at a low volume. He opened the bread bin and pulled out a few slices, then noticing that the side door was open ajar.

His eyes narrowed at it and he paused what he was doing to go investigate. He opened the door and looked around the doorway and found Lorenzo having a cigarette. He smiles at his brother, it was nice to see him and someone other than himself in this house.

Lorenzo gave him a nod. "Sleep well?" He asked, blowing out a puff of smoke away from him.

Benedict shrugged. "Not the best but not the worst. I see you're still smoking, thought you quit?"

He rolled his eyes. "Our sister is draining me already, needed to relieve the tension. She's like a drill sergeant, you know?" Lorenzo shuddered at the memories.

Benedict leaned against the brick wall of the house, his eyes wandering watching something in the trees, Lorenzo quickly caught on. He wasn't stupid. He finished his cigarette and stomped it out.

He cleared his throat. "What's on your mind, kiddo?"

He turned his head and met his brothers gaze. "I found something of Kiera's I probably shouldn't have but I can't get it out of my head."

Lorenzo gave a disturbed look. "Do I wanna know?"

Benedict rolled his eyes. "No, no, nothing like that. It was a photo, an old polaroid."

"Right, and?"

He drummed his fingers against the wall and pushed himself off the wall. He took out his phone from his back pocket and brought up the picture he took of it and showed it him. Lorenzo took the phone and had a closer look at it.

"Who's the bloke next to her?" He handed the phone back to him.

Benedict sighed in frustration. "I was hoping you would know, I was too young and you were old enough to remember."

"Sorry, Ben, I've never seen him before."

He rubbed his temple, this was a long shot but he had to try at least. "Enzo, is there anything you can remember about the night she left or what led up to it happening?"

He shook his head sadly. "I have no idea, I thought everything was fine with her. I was in deep with my own crap to notice what was going on with her which I regret now for obvious reasons."

Benedict took a deep breath, trying to process everything. "A boyfriend, maybe? Do you remember her having any guys over or around her at school?"

Lorenzo tried to think. "She never brought a guy home and she wouldn't dare to, she'd get slaughtered if she did. I never saw her with any lads, hell, I didn't even see her at school."

He thought of something else. "She's too smart for her own good and if she outsmarted our father and had a secret boyfriend then maybe that is him."

"You think so? It was taken on her 19th birthday."

He shrugged. "Nothing really happened, it was the usual we put her presents in her room and had the cake together, went to bed."

"But she clearly didn't go to bed, looks like she snuck out." Benedict smiled, he was finally getting answers to his questions even though these are just theories. There's only one person that knows what happened that night: Kiera. She's not really open to talking about the past.

Lorenzo looked annoyed. "She snuck out of that house and didn't get caught? She could have told me how to do that and I wouldn't have been under house arrest in my teens."

"It was probably a good thing you were." Benedict smirked.

Lorenzo glared at him. "Hey. Uncool, but true." He walked toward the side door.

"Come on, I'm gonna take you suit shopping for the dance and then we have a sister to confront." He smirked and wiggled his eyebrows.

Benedict followed him inside, closing the door behind him. "The dance isn't until next month."

"Better early than never."

He looked at his brother confused. "That's not how that saying goes."

"So?"

 _Oh god, this is going to be a long day_.

* * *

Benedict groaned. "How long now?"

"Just shoes and stop being a baby." Lorenzo rolled his eyes and it reminded him of Kiera, sees the eye roll of annoyance and contempt is genetic.

"Fine, you choose. I don't care." He really doesn't but Lorenzo knows his stuff and knows how to look good. He was definitely the stereotypical ladies man, these days not so much.

He nodded, brining up a pair of shoes and comparing it to the suit he's chosen. "So, Ben, who is the lucky girl you are taking to the dance?

"There is no lucky girl, I'm going with my friends."

Lorenzo groaned. "Going stag, really?"

"Sorry I'm not following in your footsteps with a different girl in my bed every week."

He looked surprised. "Ouch, Benny-boo. What's up?"

Benedict sighed. "Sorry, Enzo, I didn't mean it like that – I'm just not like you or our other brothers."

"Its okay, don't worry about it. Let's head home."

* * *

It was the evening, Benedict and Lorenzo were sat at the dinner table and no word from Kiera all day so they went ahead and made dinner without her.

The front door opened and closed, she waltzed in. "Welcome home, dear sister." Lorenzo smiled at her.

Kiera paused her footing at the end of the table. "What's got your panties in a twist?" She crossed her arms as Lorenzo nodded to Benedict to take over.

He pulled out his phone and pulled up the photograph of her polaroid and laid the phone down and pushed it toward her. "Care to explain?"

Her eyes met the photo and chills ran down the entirety of her body. She looked at the guy in the photo and it made her hairs stand on end, and it definitely rubbed her the wrong way. "Where did you get this?" She seethed through her teeth in a low tone of voice, she was not happy.

Benedict's voice was quiet, he felt like a little lamb set up for the slaughter. "I was looking for a new book to read, I picked a book up in your bedroom and it fell out."

He slowly met her eyes and they were dark, they reminded him of their father. He was down right scary when was angry and so was she. "I'm sorry."

He felt a hand on his arm, it was Lorenzo. "Don't apologise, Ben."

Lorenzo looked at Kiera. "So, what the hell happened? Why did you leave? Do you not care at all? We're waiting."

"Of course, I fucking care." She spat.

He was smug. "Then tell us, we're family. Your secret is safe with us."

"You really wanna know? Really?" Her tone of voice changed, there was something sad and emotional behind it.

"Yes." Lorenzo pushed for the both of them.

Benedict did want to know but not like this, he didn't want to hurt her to find out. "Some family." Kiera said.

"What?"

She quickly recovered. "The guy in the photo was a short lived shitty boyfriend, his name was Forsythe, and he got me pregnant because we were stupid teenagers who didn't know any better."

Her eyes watered but she continued on. "On the day I found out, so did our father, what a saint he was. That same night he made me get an abortion and said I was a stupid girl and this would never happen again."

A few stray tears slid down her cheeks, and Benedict felt his heart breaking watching and listening to her. "I couldn't live there anymore, under his rule like I belonged to him. His perfect little princess. So I left and never looked back."

She looked at the both of them. "Are you happy?" and she stormed out.

He wasn't happy, far from it.


	12. Chapter 12

_**CHAPTER TWELVE**_

It was another restless night for Benedict as Kiera didn't come home at all and she left her phone, they couldn't reach her. Lorenzo told him not to worry, she'll come back after she's calmed down. And then what? A happy normal family? Far from it.

From what Kiera said about what happened to her, what their father did to her, he didn't know what to think anymore. He knew their father wasn't a good man but their mother loved him, wasn't that enough? Apparently not. He doesn't think their mother knows what happened between their father and Kiera as she was so heartbroken and distraught when she left them. Nothing was the same, and it never would be.

He was sad and angry, mostly angry at his father and sad for Kiera. He just wanted her back, he just wanted his sister back with that warmth in her eyes that he remembers.

A knock at his bedroom door shook him from his light slumber, he slowly propped himself up on his elbows. "Y-yeah?" He mumbled loud enough for whoever, most likely Lorenzo, was on the other side of the door.

It was him. "Kiera is still not here so I'm taking you to school today, be down in fifteen minutes." He didn't sound particularly happy and he didn't feel it either.

He felt horrible, the both of them did. They needed Kiera back, and he hoped she was okay wherever she was. "Alright, I'll be down soon."

Lorenzo didn't say anything else as he heard his footsteps pad away from his door and down the stairs. Benedict sat up and crossed his legs as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He grabbed his phone and checked his notifications.

One message from the group chat.

 **Tails: how did it go?**

 **Benedict: I'll tell you at lunch.**

He sighed and pushed himself out of the bed, he got dressed fairly quickly as he wanted to get some food down him before the school day.

He made it downstairs, grabbing a few slices of toast from the kitchen counter. Lorenzo more than likely made them, he sat down at the table and ate a few.

He looked up at his brother. "Do you think she'll come home today?"

"Maybe, maybe not. She might want to make us suffer." He said it more as a joke but he can tell there is truth to it. She might just do that to them.

He finished his last piece of toast. "I'm good to go."

Lorenzo nodded, getting up and grabbing the car keys. They left the house and got into the car. It was a silent trip between them with only the radio playing.

He stopped the car outside the school gates. "Hey, um, try to have a good day and I'll text you when she comes home." Rather if she comes home.

Benedict nodded. "See ya." He got out the car and closed the passenger door, walking away and to the doors of the school. He really didn't want to be here right now, he wanted to be home and wait for Kiera.

He went to his classes and did his work, didn't participate in anything. He was as stoic and cold as Kiera right now, she was all he cared about. His shoulder was nudged and he looked up, taken out of his trance.

It was Silver, Kiera's friend and his mathematics teacher. He noticed that all the other students have left the lunch.

"Let's have a chat about your sister." Silver told him, motioning to join him at his desk.

He brightened up a little at the mention of his sister. "Okay." He got up from his seat and followed him to his desk.

Silver sat on the edge of the desk so he was more Benedict's height level. "She stayed with us last night, so no need to worry about where she is."

"She told you what happened?" He felt ashamed.

Silver nodded. "She did."

He continued. "Kiera, as my wife and I's friend, is someone who we care about and worry about a lot of the time. She's a proud, stubborn individual, your sister. She has wall after wall after wall built around her heart from what happened to her."

"She really does." Benedict commented in a mumble.

Silver agreed. "But what you did, you snooped around her home, her safe place without her knowledge and found something that terrified her."

He tried to explain himself. "It was an accident."

"Doesn't matter."

He knew about what happened to her. "How did you get her to open up to you? I'm her brother, her family and I can't even do that and it's been months."

Silver sighed and shook his head. "It wasn't easy, it's never easy. Kiera has used self preservation from that awful day, and doing that for so long it's insanely hard to open up to someone, especially family, about something like this."

Benedict wanted to hug his sister and never let go. "I didn't know..." He can't seem to find his words.

"You have to let her come to you now with these things. What she went through, she did alone and no one should have to go through something like that alone."

* * *

Benedict slowly eat his food at their lunch table, mostly playing with it. He looked up when a plastic fork poked his hand. "What?"

"What happened?" Charmy asked, a questionable look on his face.

He sighed. "Something that I could take back."

Charmy's eyes narrowed at him. "What the hell does that even mean?"

Cream nudged him to silence him. "A family matter that doesn't concern you."

Benedict smiled sadly at her. "Thanks, I'm going to get a drink." He got up from his seat, leaving his food and walked over to the vending machine.

He checked out the selection that they had before slotting some coins in. He picked out what he wanted and waited for the drink to make the trip down so he can collect it.

His brow furrowed then he felt a tap on his shoulder, he turned around and came face to face with a cheerleader that thankfully wasn't Rouge but recognised as Mina, one of her friends. She smiled kindly at him, which was unfamiliar.

"Um, can I help you?" He asked in the mist polite way he could.

"Actually, yes, I was hoping to ask you something." That sounded ominous.

He dead panned. "It better not be whether if I bark or if I bite."

Mina laughed, this time not at him, this was unusual to say the least. "You're so funny, but no, I was wondering whether you would like to go to the Sadie Hawkins dance with me?"

He had to do a double take. Was she serious? He couldn't believe what was happening. "What? Me? Isn't there some football player that you would rather go with?"

She shook her head. "Nope, I really admired how you stood up to Rouge, she can be such a bitch to all of us, really. Sorry if I'm being forward or anything but you're quite handsome and I would like to get to know you better."

He blushed a bit at 'handsome' and she seemed genuine as she talked about Rouge but he couldn't help feel like this was definitely a trap. "Thank you for the compliment, really, but I'm already going with my friends."

Her face dropped a little. "Oh, okay. Can't blame a girl for trying, right?"

"Again, I'm sorry." He tried to make it better, she seemed nice and she was definitely pretty and out of any league he was in but he had to be careful.

Mina played with the bracelet around her wrist. "I hope you have fun with your friends, maybe save me a dance?"

"Sure." She smiled at left him.

 _What the actual fuck just happened?_

* * *

"What the-?" Kiera groaned as she woke up with a cushion to the stomach. She sat up from the couch, glaring at her friend.

Kiera put the cushion behind her back. "What was that for?"

Blaze rolled her eyes and sat next to her, handing her a cup of tea. "You needed to wake up and stop feeling sorry for yourself."

"Excuse me?" She took the cup of tea and had a sip.

Blaze patted her friends knee. "They were going to find out eventually if not from you then finding the evidence like they did."

"I should've burned it with the rest." Kiera grumbled.

She raised an eyebrow. "And why didn't you?"

"A reminder or whatever."

She frowned. "Because you don't remind yourself of it everyday."

Kiera would defend herself but she didn't have it in her. "Fuck it."

Blaze batted her arm. "No swearing, the baby can hear you."

She rolled her eyes. "Its the size of my pinky finger, it can't hear shit."

"After that drink, you're going home."

"Okay, _mother_."


	13. Chapter 13

_**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**_

Kiera stood a couple feet away from the front door of her house. She felt bloody ridiculous feeling apprehensive about going into her own house. She knew Lorenzo was waiting for here to come back ever since the incident last night, she was only here now because Blaze technically and lovingly kicked her out to deal with her shit.

The door opened and her eyes met Lorenzo. "I've been watching you stand there for the past fifteen minutes, you coming in or what?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. "You've been spying on me for fifteen minutes? Having you got anything better to do?" She smirked at him.

He gave up. "Just get in." She rolled her eyes and walked in.

Lorenzo closed the door behind her and followed her into the living room. She removed her jacket and sat on the sofa, he joined her. She leaned her head on her hand with her elbow on the back of the sofa. Kiera sighed, not really wanting to do this right now or ever but it has to be done.

"You knew that this was going to happen sooner or later, you know." Lorenzo began, might as well cut the tension and deal with all of the bullshit with it out in the open even if she's not happy about it.

She turned the stainless steel ring around her index finger, playing with it to distract herself. "Not the first time I've heard that today."

A poignant pause passed for a minute or two.

"You talk first? I talk first? How are we going to do this?" He asked, it was pretty awkward between them.

Her eyes rolled. "How about don't be a dick about it?"

"Alright, I have questions and you have to answer them honestly." He laid down a ground rule before going into the elephant in the room.

She exhaled. "Fine, ask away."

"Why didn't you tell anyone when it happened?"

Kiera rubbed her temples. "I came home thinking no one was home and took a pregnancy test in the my bathroom, when it turned positive that is when our father walked in."

"Shit, really?"

She nodded. "As you can imagine he reacted in the worst way possible and he got me an appointment at the abortion clinic that night, and told me if I ever told anyone...well, he would send me away."

"Send you away? I knew he was a dick but..." He shook his head and he couldn't really comprehend what he was hearing about their own father and how he treated his 'princess', and it made him hate him more than he already does.

He looked at her with such sad puppy eyes. "I don't want your sympathy, Enzo."

"Well, you have it anyway. So, you ran away?"

Her brow furrowed, confused. "I didn't run away, I left and they knew I did."

"And they did nothing?"

She nodded her head. "Well, our father sent a private investigator after me in the first couple months and our mother continuously sends me emails on my old account still to this day."

He sat up. "I had no idea he did that and that she still talks to you. They never said anything."

"Just because she sends me emails, doesn't mean I answer them." She cleared her throat.

Lorenzo leant back into the sofa. "That's kind of twisted, what did she do to warrant such from you?"

She paused. "Nothing, she did nothing."

He started to lean forward and she stopped him. "If you hug me, I will kick your ass."

"Just take it, it'll make you feel better." Lorenzo brought her into a hug and she just let it happen.

Kiera slowly hugged him back, taking in a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she embraced the affection from her brother. It was a welcomed experience after a couple minutes.

"So, how long are we hugging for?" She asked and they both laughed together.

A voice popped up from the other corner of the room. "Can I join in?" They both pulled out of the hug, turned around and saw Benedict hiding by the door frame of the living room.

"Were you listening in the entire time?" Kiera asked with a side smile.

He nodded sheepishly. Lorenzo motioned him over to the sofa. "Come here."

Benedict quickly walked over to the sofa and joined them in a big bear hug. "I love you, guys."

"Oh god." Kiera mumbled.

Lorenzo laughed. "Just enjoy it, Kiera."

"Fine." She groaned.

* * *

 _ **A month later, on the night of the Sadie Hawkins dance...**_

Kiera stood in the hallway, staring at her phone as her foot tapped on the floor. She looked up the staircase and called up there. "C'mon, lads, you're going to be late! And not in the cool fashionable kind of late!"

Lorenzo came down first with Benedict, Charmy and Tails coming down in tandem dressed up to the nines for the school dance. She smiled at them all. "Look at you lads, all so very handsome."

Benedict rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Kiera, you better not take a photo."

"I'm not, but he is."

She smirked and Lorenzo brought out his camera with a smirk of his own. "Say cheese!" He laughed and the flash went off on the camera.

"You're both the devil."

Kiera brought him into a hug. "Growing up before my very eyes."

"Let's, uh, go and pick Cream up."

They all got into the car, Kiera started up the engine and drove out of the driveway, driving to Cream's house.

She stopped the car outside her house, and looked back at the boys in the back passenger seats. "So, which one of you is gonna help her in the car like a true gentlemen?"

They blushed and Tails unbuckled his seat belt and walked to her front door. He rang her doorbell and he heard several voices talking on the other side of door, and just then he felt a few butterflies in his stomach. He had noticed that his hands started to feel clammy.

The door opened up and a woman he put together was Cream's mother. He smiled politely. "Hi, I'm Tails, is Cream ready to go?"

She smiled at him. "Yeah, my husband is getting one last photo of her."

She turned around and called for her. "Cream, the boys are here." She turned back around and saw Kiera walking up to her.

She smiled politely. "Hey there, my name is Kiera and I am Benedict's older sister and guardian, I'll be picking them up around 10:30pm. I'm sure Cream has given you my number and my other brother Lorenzo as well?" She tried to make a good first impression on her parents.

"She has and it's very nice to meet you, Kiera, my name is Vanilla and I'm sure you'll bring them home safely." Vanilla shook her hand and smiled at her.

Cream out in a knee length coral blue sweetheart dress. Tails shuffled his feet as nerves gathered in his chest. "You look beautiful, Cream." He commented with a shy smile.

Kiera glanced between the two of them and smirked. Interesting, she thought.

"Have fun, sweetie!"

The three of them walked to the car and helped Cream into the car. She waved goodbye to her parents before they drove off to the high school.

Kiera parked the car in the car park, and looked back at the four of them. "All your phone's are fully charged, correct?"

They nodded.

"Phones on loud?" Lorenzo asked them.

They nodded.

"Silver AKA: Mr Hedgehog is a chaperone for the dance so if you happen to be idiots and lose your phone's, just tell him and he'll call us."

They nodded. "Got it."

"No sex, no drugs and no drinking, got it?" Kiera told them with a smirk.

Charmy was confused. "Um...okay."

They all got out of the car.

Lorenzo and Kiera sat on the bonnet of the car and watched them walk down to the school entrance, heading to the dance. He looked at her. "Remember our first school dance?"

Kiera grimaced. "Did you punch the football captain's tooth out that night?"

He looked at her. "Yes, and didn't you swill your drink at the head cheerleader for calling you a bitch?"

"She deserved it."

He laughed. "Touché."

Lorenzo pushed himself from the hood of the car and turned to her. "You good to go?" He was surprised when she chucked the car keys to him.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You head back, I need to call someone and I be on the phone for a while."

Lorenzo shrugged. "Alright, call me if you need a ride back." She nodded and watched him get in the car, start the engine and drive out of the car park.

Kiera pulled out her phone and went into her recent messages. Her eyes paused on the latest message from her mother, asking for updates on Benedict, Lorenzo and her on a smaller scale.

She sighed. "Mother of the Year."

"Who is?" A voice came from not that far away from her, she quickly swivelled on her foot and saw Shadow, leaning on his motorcycle and wearing dark leather.

Kiera sucked in a side of her cheek and pursed her lips. "Does it matter?"

He chuckled. "To you."

She rolled her eyes. "Are you here spying on the kids, hoping to sell some alcohol?"

He fake gasped, putting a hand to his chest. "Do you really think that low of me?"

"Very nice bike you have there. Ride often?" She put a hand on her hip, quite provocative.

Shadow looked back at his bike. "Every chance I get, it's a Harley Davidson-"

"Softail." They both said unison.

He looked back at her, surprised and highly impressed. "You know your bikes?"

Kiera shrugged and played it off. "I know my way around a bike."

Shadow laughed, shaking his head, he got up from his bike. "Wanna grab a drink and talk about how you know your way around a bike?"

She tilted her head a little bit and looked away from him, contemplating whether she should or not given who he is. "They sell the best milkshakes at Joe's Diner."

That surprised her. "What are we, kids?" She chuckled.

"So, is that a no?"

Another eye roll, it seems to be her signature when dealing with him. "The best, huh? Looks like you'll have to prove it to me."

Shadow smirked at her. "Hop on and hold tight."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

He turned away from her and got onto his motorbike. Looking back at her with a crooked smile. "Maybe a little."

 _I might regret this but fuck it._ She thought and walked over to him as he sat on the bike, climbing onto the back and curling her arms around his torso and holding onto him.

He kicked back the stand and started up the engine, driving off to Joe's Diner which is not too far from the school and the dance. As she was holding onto him, she definitely felt that he was packing some muscle behind the navy shirt he was wearing.

Not that it mattered to her, of course.

She did enjoy the feeling of the wind in her hair and how it felt against her face, she certainly missed this. It made her think of the motorbike she has gathering dust in her garage. Maybe, one day she'll clean it and take it out for a spin. One day.

Shadow slowed down the bike as they came into the car park of the diner, he propped the stand and killed the engine.

Kiera removed her arms from around his waist. He looked back at her with a smirk. "I quite enjoyed having you hold onto me."

She rolled her eyes again and got off the bike, she looked at the exterior of the diner and it was very reminiscent of 1940s neon diner. It was someplace she would enjoy. "I've been in this town for a while and I have been here before."

"Well, that's because it's fairly new and I'm kind of friends with the owner." He explained as he opened the door for her.

"Thanks, and kind of friends?" She asked as she walked through with him following.

Shadow sat down at a booth, and she sat opposite him. "I employ his son at my work."

She raised an eyebrow. "You work?"

He laughed. "Yes, I work. I own an Auto shop."

"Desert Eagle Auto?"

He took off his leather jacket with his biceps and forearm muscles on display. _Damn you_ , she thought. "You heard of it?"

Kiera nodded, pulling a menu from the holder which held a little machine that let you choose the songs for a coin. "I've drove by a couple times when dropping and picking up Benedict from school."

He watched her looking at the food items on the menu. "You hungry?"

"A little, I didn't time to eat something when I was helping the boys get ready for the dance." She saw a waitress walk by and held her hand up halfway.

"What can I help you with, sweetie?" The waitress smiled at her.

Kiera smiled back politely. "Hi, could I get a side of fries? And a chocolate milkshake, please?"

She looked at Shadow. "What about you?"

"Same for me but with a strawberry milkshake, and it's on me." Kiera gave him a look of 'really?' and he nodded with a smile, although she was more than prepared to pay for the both of them.

The waitress wrote it down on her small pad. "Two sides of fries and two milkshakes, one chocolate and one strawberry. Coming right up." She smiled and walked away.

"How's Benedict doing, anymore trouble from Rouge?" He asked like he was genuinely concerned and that he cared which was starting to make her change her opinion of him, a little.

"No trouble to report."

He chuckled. "That's good."

Time seemed to pass between them as they talked as the food and milkshakes came and went, they laughed and teases each other until Kiera checked her phone. She got a text from Lorenzo asking when she'll be home.

"I better get home." She said, getting up from her seat and Shadow did the same.

He put his leather jacket back on. "I'll take you home, you'll have to guide me."

"Thanks, will do." Shadow paid for their food and drinks, and left a tip before exiting the diner with Kiera. They got on the bike, and Shadow, with her guidance, drove her home.

He slowed down when he got to her house and watched her let go of him and get off the bike. "I had a great time with you, Kiera."

"I had a good time with you, but I'm not going to kiss you." She teased.

Shadow chuckled, shaking his head. He looked back at her. "How about your number instead?"

She thought about it and she followed her words from before, fuck it. "I do owe you for the food after all, so give me your phone."

He pulled his phone out from his inner jacket pocket and handed it over to her. She put in her phone number and handed it back to him. "Happy?"

He smirked. "Very."

"Goodnight, Shadow."

"Goodnight, Kiera."

* * *

It was half way through the dance, and Benedict, Charmy, Tails and Cream stuck together, attempting to dance here and there and drinking punch every now and again.

Cream nudged Benedict with her elbow. "Looks like Mina is looking your way, she may want that dance."

He took a swig of the punch as if it was alcohol. "Highly doubtful – I'm just waiting for something to go wrong. It always does at dances for my family."

Charmy's face scrunched up. "What?"

Benedict when through his families antics. "Lorenzo punched a guys tooth out at one, Kiera threw punch at a cheerleader, Aidan pranked the king and queen by playing a really sexual song during their crowning. I could go on."

"Whoa, who pissed your siblings off?"

He laughed. "A lot of people it seems, and I seemed to have done the same to Rouge so I'm expecting something from her."

Cream looked over at Rouge across the room and saw her sat on the bench alone, with all her friends dancing with their dates, leaving her out. "Well, she doesn't seem that interested in you."

Benedict looked over at where she was looking and saw Rouge. It was sad, really sad. It almost made him feel sad for her. His attention changed to Tails when he heard his voice.

"No one's danced with her all night." He commented.

Benedict sighed. "I'll definitely regret this, I'm too nice for my own good." He finished his drink and got up from his seat and started to make his way towards the other end of the hall, to Rouge.

Rouge looked up when she felt a shadow cast over her. "What do you want?"

"Would you like to dance?" Benedict asked sincerely.

She blinked. "What? Seriously? Why?"

"Every girl wants to dance at any dance really even with its someone they hate, well, maybe not but you see my point." He held out his hand to her.

She looked at him and then his hand, she took a deep breath and took his hand. Standing up, she followed him to the dance floor and placed her hands around his neck while his were around her waist.

It was weird and strange but it was okay.

Everyone was staring like it was alien and it most definitely was.

A few songs went by and they swayed together, with her head on his shoulder and she didn't hate it but she needed to do something.

She pulled away. "Thank you for dancing with me even though you really wanna run away from me."

He chuckled. "A bit of an exaggeration, I think but you're welcome."

Out of nowhere.

 _SPLAT_.

A clear liquid substance was dropped on the both of them and then followed with fur and feathers with the football team and the cheerleaders howling like wolves at the two of them.

Benedict stared at them and then back at Rouge, waiting for something or anything.

"I'm so sorry."


	14. Chapter 14

_**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**_

The door was locked and the tap was running in the boys bathroom. Benedict removed his suit jacket and dumped it on the floor. He cupped his hands under the running water and brought it to his face, trying to wash whatever they doused him with.

 _Knock_.

"Ben, it's Tails. Open up, I got spare clothes from the gym lost and found." He flipped the lock on the door.

He sighed. "Come in."

Tails came in with a plastic bag with clothes in it, he closed the door behind him. He handed Benedict the bag.

He opened it up and pulled out grey sweatpants, a maroon jumper, socks and trainers sporting the school's logo and set it on the counter. "Thanks, Tails. Have you called Kiera?"

"I tried but it's going to voicemail so Cream went to find Mr Hedgehog." Benedict sighed as he unbuttoned his dress shirt and put into the plastic bag, pulling the jumper on over his head and pulled it down his body. He unzipped his pants and shimmied out of them and pulled the sweatpants on followed by the socks and trainers.

Benedict grabbed his suit jacket, pants, shoes and socks and put them haphazardly into the plastic bag.

He turned to Tails. "I'll take a shower when I get home, let's find Mr Hedgehog."

Tails nodded and opened up the bathroom door, heading out with Benedict and walked down the hallway to meet Charmy and Cream, who was standing and conversing with Mr Hedgehog.

The teacher spotted them. "I've called your brother and he's on his way now, Benedict."

He nodded, he just wanted to get out of here and be in his bedroom, his safe place. He should have trusted his gut and passed of dancing with Rouge or coming to the damned dance in general. He was holding it together fairly well in front of everyone.

"The students responsible for this will be reprimanded for this, Benedict. They won't get away scot free."

He looked at him, meeting his eye line. "Is that a promise?"

"Yes." Silver nodded and guided them out of the school and into the car park where a familiar car was pulling in at the entrance.

Lorenzo was driving, no sign of Kiera. "Let's get you kids home."

They opened the doors and got into the car. Silver walked to the drivers door. "You think he'll be okay?" He asked Lorenzo.

He looked back at his brother in the back of the car before answering him. "We'll see, just wait until Kiera finds out. They'll be hell to pay." He revved the engine.

"I have no doubt about that." Silver nodded and watched as the car drove away.

* * *

Benedict didn't say anything to anyone on the way back, just stared out of the window and solemnly walked into the house, dropped the plastic bag of his dirty, soaked clothes by the washing machine in the utility room. He walked up the stairs and went into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

He went into his bathroom and cleaned himself up in the shower, before changing into pyjamas and crashing on his bed.

An hour or two went by, he wasn't sure how long, until his bedroom door opened up little by little. "Leave me alone." He grumbled into his pillow.

A soft, comforting voice followed. "You sure you want me to leave you alone?"

He turned his head to the door, not moving his body as he was comfy, he saw Kiera. "...Come in."

She did and she closed the door behind her, she sat on the bottom of his bed. "Are you okay?"

"You, of all people, should know that asking that is futile." Benedict groaned into pillow.

"Can't blame me for trying."

She patted his leg softly and he let out a sniffle. "Can you stay with me tonight like you used to?"

Her eyes softened at the request and it just brought back memories of when he was just a child and she would stay with him in his bed when he had nightmares. "Of course."

Kiera got a thick blanket and pillow from his cupboard and placed them beside him and got into the bed. He shivered and let out a small whimper, and she knew he was crying.

"Its okay, I'm here." She brought him into a hug, and he hugged her back tightly and relaxed in her arms.

"I love you."

She smiled sadly. "I love you, too, little one."

He knew in that moment he had his sister back but that didn't make him feel any less horrible than he was.

* * *

Kiera got out of her car and checked the time on her phone.

10:38am.

 _He better be here._

She was a woman on a mission, and she was pissed.

One foot in front of the other fuelled by the tears her baby brother shed last night in her arms. She stalked into Desert Eagle Auto's garage, walking past the workers.

One stopped her. "Hey, hey, are you alright?" He could tell she was not happy.

"Is your boss in?"

He nodded, and pointed to the managers office door. She walked to it and the workers watched her.

"He is so dead."

Shadow was stood by his bookshelf, looking through the orders for next week when his office door opened or rather flew open.

He frowned before turning. "Hey – Kiera. What...what are you doing here?" His frown dropped when he saw her, his eyes scanned her form and she was less than happy but he was happy to see her.

She closed the door behind her with her foot so no one can peer in. "Do you know what I was doing last night?" Her voice was less than kind but he stiffened.

He shook his head.

"I was comforting my very upset brother from what Rouge and her little friends did to him last night."

Shadow dropped his book on the desk. "What?"

He had no idea, and he couldn't stop staring at her as she continued with her rant on his step sister. She has so much fire and passion in her and she was just protecting and fighting for her brother, he admired her.

He was entranced as her words mellowed in his ears as he focussed on her, he knew he would most likely get slapped for this but fuck it.

While she was talking, he cupped her cheeks and kissed her quickly.

Her eyes widened and pushed him away, it silenced as she was definitely not expecting that from him at all. She took a deep breath and looked him and down.

Kiera leaned up and kissed him just as quickly.

Shadow pulled her flush against him, kissing her like it was the first and last time he would do so. His hands slid down her side's and found their home at her warm waist.

Her arms snaked around his neck, it has been a long while and she was enjoying his attack on her lips and his touch on her clothed body. She pulled him to the desk, sitting up on it and spreading her legs and hooking them at his hips.

He groaned and growled lowly at what she was doing to him. He slipped his hands under her thighs and pulled her up, and his hands slid up to her denim jeans covered was and held her against the wall.

Shadow tested the waters and gave her ass a squeeze, she moaned into his moaned. _That was so fucking hot_ , he thought and grinded his hips against her centre.

Kiera's lips travelled from his and to his jawline, moaned quietly into his neck. Could they do this here, in his office? Well, they are. He grunted into her hair but suddenly froze.

He brought his head back to look at her, she looked so sexy with her face red and warm thanks to him, and he was very hard thanks to her.

"I, I don't have any condoms here." He whispered.

She groaned and leant her head back against the wall, she didn't want to be teased like this and she was certain he didn't want to blue ball himself. "When do you finish work?" She muttered.

She slowly lowered her legs from his hips although his hands felt up her ass as she did. "Now, I'm the boss, I want you in my bed."


	15. Chapter 15

_**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**_

She took deep breaths and moaned quietly just for him into his ear, he shuddered and groaned into her neck. Shadow held her leg at his hip, being where he was in-between her legs was far from amazing, he hasn't felt anything like it. He didn't think he would have her here, in his bed, under him and moaning his name.

It was like a dream, a fantasy he has definitely had before but it didn't come close to the real thing.

Kiera's arm hooked under his and gripped the skin of his shoulders, her nails digging in only resulting in him exceeding the speed of which he was thrusting inside of her.

He grunted with each thrust. "Fuck, I'm not going to last that much longer if you continue."

"Good." Her sultry voice moaned into his ear and nipped at his throat, certainly leaving marks that will appear long after she's left his bed.

She knew exactly what she was doing and he knew it. His eyes rolled back with her touch. He was putty in her hands like this. Her stomach tightened as she knew she was as close to finishing as he was and she was sure he knew that too.

Shadow dropped to his forearms, burying his face into her neck and moaned her name as her walls tightened around his length reaching her orgasm and his followed suit because of it. He stayed where he was as he slowly came down from his high with her, his hips slowly bucking dragging out the pleasure shared between them.

Her hand slowly came up beside his head and lifted him so she could see him, she brought him down to her lips, kissing him and enjoying him. She moaned into his mouth as his thumb softly caressed the underside of her breast as he slowed his movements to a stop.

Shadow pulled his head back, opening his eyes and looking down at her. He was admiring her, picturing her as she was so content and not angry at him for what his dumb step sister did to her baby brother. She was just her.

Kiera watched his eyes. "What?" She asked in a quiet and soft tone.

He told her the truth. "Nothing, you're just so -"

"If you say beautiful I might throw up." He chuckled and kissed her one last time before removing himself from her.

"I'll be right back." He got up and walked to his bathroom to dispose of the condom, and put boxers on.

She sat up and quickly found her underwear on his floor. She stood up and picked them up and put her underwear back on, clipped on her bra. Kiera grabbed her high waisted denim jeans and shimmied them up, standing in front of his mirror.

Shadow came up behind her and snaked his arms around her bare middle and rested his head on top of hers. "Leaving me already?"

She twirled to face him in his arms, now looking at him in his deep ruby eyes and she can't help but like the way they look at her – not that he needs to know that. "I have to go back home, my baby brother needs his sister right now. Now more than ever."

He knew exactly what she was referring to. "I would ask you to send him my apologies but I have a feeling he wouldn't accept them."

She sighed. "He wouldn't but the sentiment is nice. You'll talk to her?"

He nodded almost immediately. "Absolutely, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind."

"Thank you." She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

He smiled at her but tested the waters. "Will I see you again?" He let her go and watched her put her shirt and jacket on, then lace up her boots.

Kiera got back up, tying up her hair in a messy ponytail with a hair tie. "That's up to you, you have my number." She walked to his bedroom door but he stopped her by catching her hand.

She looked at him. "If I had condoms on me at my office, would you have -"

"Had sex with you in your office? I guess we'll never know." She smirked and kissed him one last time and left his bedroom.

Shadow let out a satisfied sigh, she is going to destroy me, he thought and fell back onto his bed.

He lay there for an hour before putting on sweatpants and a shirt, he stripped his bedding and put it in the hamper, then taking it down to the room where they kept the washing and drying machines. Once he was done, he walked into living room finding Rouge there watching television and playing on her phone.

Rouge scoffed as she looked up to him. "I knew you were eyefucking her but I didn't think you'd actually fuck her given what -"

It was his turn to cut someone off. "Given what you and your little dickheads you call friends did to her brother especially at the dance, what the fuck were you thinking? What vendetta do you have against this lad?" Shadow laid his hands on the back of the sofa, leaning over her, his tone far from forgiving.

Rouge hasn't heard this from him before, he was serious. "I don't!" She tried to save herself but she was too far deep in a pit.

"Yes, you do or you wouldn't have done it! He's just a lad, he has actual emotions and feelings. How do you think he's feeling right now?" He countered, and she had thought about Benedict and how he must be feeling, she felt awful as well.

"I tried to stop it, you dick!"

Shadow blinked and scrunched his face up confused. "What? You tried to stop it? Why?"

"Does it matter? It's already happened." Rouge sighed defeated, leaning back into the sofa.

He shook his head. "Of course it matters! It means you actually have a shred of decency in you to care about someone other than yourself."

She paused in silence before answering him. "He didn't deserve it...He did someone he didn't have to so he could make me feel better because no one wanted to dance with me so he did. I couldn't stop it in time."

Shadow was genuinely shocked at that confession, he didn't think she had it in her to care. He thought she was a replica of her mother, cold, calculated and demanding. There may be hope for her after all.

"Tell that to your principal on Monday, it'll make a difference – and apologise to Benedict."

Rouge nodded staring at the screen on her phone. "He won't accept it."

"Doesn't matter if he doesn't, the fact that you said it and meant it will mean more."

* * *

Kiera opened the front door to her house with her key and walked in, closing the door behind her as silently as she could due to the late time she was coming home. She walked into the kitchen and saw Lorenzo stirring a spoon in his cup of tea.

"Welcome home, sister. How did things go?" He asked as she came into the light, he looked at her and instantly recognised what exactly was written on her face.

"Fine, I've sorted it."

Lorenzo laughed. "Sorted it? Looks like you did more than sorted it."

"Shut up." She warned.

He leaned forward on his elbows on the kitchen counter. "Did he tell you your beauty outshines the stars?"

Kiera glared at him. "Continue and you will live to regret it at the gym in the morning."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm sorry but this is so fascinating. It's like something you never thought would happen, happens."

She rolled her eyes. "What will it take for you to shut up about it and never speak a word of it again?"

"Oooh, interesting. Blackmail."

Another glare.

He took a sip of his cup of tea. "Who was it?" Lorenzo asked not expecting an answer at all.

Kiera glanced away from him. "Shadow."

Lorenzo choked, nearly spitting out his tea. "Benny's bully's brother? That's all kinds of fucked."

"Says the one asking his sister about her sex life."

"Touché."

Kiera rolled her eyes, heading out the kitchen and up the stairs. She paused her footing when Benedict's bedroom door opened. He stood there, all sad and looking at her with puppy eyes. "Can you stay with me again, Kiera?"

Her heart melted. "Of course, little one, I'll be in there in a few minutes."

He nodded and went back to his bed. She went to her bedroom and quickly changed to her pyjamas and then walking to Benedict's bedroom. She closed the door behind her and joined him on his bed, once she was comfortable she held him close.

"All good, little one?"

He nodded.

 _ **(A/N: the reason that this chapter is shorter than my other ones is that this was technically part two to the previous chapter, leave a review so I know what you think of it so far and where you think it's going to go in future chapters)**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**_

The sun wasn't even poking it's way through the clouds and yet here she was in the basement, already dressed with shoes on. She looked down at her snoozing brother half on and half off the bed.

"Weirdo." Kiera breathed out as a low whisper to herself as she listened to the disgruntled snores coming from Lorenzo. He could sleep through a natural disaster given the chance, she knew it so she knew she couldn't wake him up like a normal person would.

She gripped the duvet he was laying on and on the count of three, with force she yanked the cover from him and he rolled quickly onto the cold floor.

He groaned, now awake. Lorenzo put his hands on the freezing stone floor. "What the...fuck." He pushed himself up in a seated position on the floor, now looking up at his sister not very happy.

"Was that even necessary?" He frowned at her.

She only smiled down at him. "For me, yes. For you? Not so much."

"You're the devil, you know that?" He got up to his feet, only in his boxers.

Kiera chuckled. "So I've been told. Get dressed, we're going a few rounds at the gym."

"Yipee." Lorenzo grumbled and walked to his dresser, pulling out his gym shorts and shirt then he saw what the time was from his clock on the wall.

He turned to her, eyes narrowed in discontent at her. "5:30 in the morning? Are you insane?"

"Quite possibly, meet you by the door in ten minutes." Kiera left him be and walked back up the basement stairs.

Lorenzo stretched out his back, he was going to get battered by her again and he knew it. He put his gym shorts and shirt on, then put his socks and trainers on before turning the light off and heading back up the stairs and meeting her by the door.

He noticed her hands were bare. "Where's the keys?"

"I'm not driving, we're running." She smirked.

With his eyes closed, he leant his head back. "God, provide me with the strength."

She laughed, opening the door and walking out. Lorenzo followed, closing the door behind him. They started with a light jog to get warmed up.

"I thought since you got laid you would lay off the boot camp training crap." He brought up.

Kiera shook her head. "You thought wrong."

"Was he not that good? If so, that's hilarious." He chuckled.

She hit his arm. "Shut up, he did just fine."

He looked at her. "Just fine? Yikes, poor guy."

"He got the job done and it was satisfactory." Kiera rolled her eyes, he was more than satisfactory and she knew it, she wanted it again but she wouldn't admit that especially to her nosy brother.

"Oh? Satisfactory? Then he's a sex god!" He belted out and she laughed, shoving him with her arm.

Lorenzo smiled at her, he liked hearing her laugh. It was almost happy but there was too much baggage for truly happy and normal for them at this point. "You gonna see him again or was this a one time deal?"

"Unsure, it sounded like he wanted to and he has my number but let's just leave it at that. A one night stand."

"A one night stand? Ruffling those perfect feathers of yours, how scandalous." He chuckled at the thought, it wasn't like her the sister he knew.

Kiera shook her head. "I never claimed to be perfect, you can blame our father for bestowing that title on me."

"Daddy's perfect princess." Lorenzo exhaled, seemed like a lifetime ago that they were all together and happy but nothing lasts forever.

He gathered she was done talking about their family and her promiscuous affair with Shadow, they jogged together to the gym in silence and he knew now that she preferred the silence so he let her have that.

* * *

Benedict turned in his sleep and felt the other side of his bed was cold, Kiera was gone. He sighed and slowly opened his eyes. He lazily reached for his phone and pulled it from the charging port.

He turned it on and rolled onto his back, propping a pillow behind his head. He checked his notifications and saw he had a email from one of his brothers.

Benedict clicked on it and read the title.

 **From: ThaddeusWolf**

 **Subject: Benedict**

 _Benedict,_

 _How are settling in with Kiera? I heard that Lorenzo is living with you now so I wish you the best of luck with the both of them. I wanted to wait a while before contacting you so you had time to settle in at school, make friends, get accustomed with the place and the people. I've missed you and so do mother and father. They talk about you a lot._

 _Mother keeps messaging me every way from Sunday about you and Kiera, she won't answer her messages at all. Mother knows she reads them but doesn't reply and if and when she does it's a half-assed one word answer. Could you talk to her about talking with us? Maybe you can get through to her._

 _Also, is Lorenzo getting better with Kiera's help? He hasn't answered her or father's calls either. Has he destroyed his phone again? If so, let me know so I can tell them._

 _Thaddeus._

Throughout that email he was sighing and rolling his eyes with answers in his head that he wanted to write back but he knew he couldn't. He couldn't betray Kiera like that. He loves her and respects her wishes but that didn't stop him from wanting to defend her.

 **To: ThaddeusWolf**

 **Subject: RE: Benedict**

 _Thaddeus,_

 _I am doing well staying with Kiera and Lorenzo, I've made a few friends and I'm happy. Well, except the bullying and humility from the head cheerleader and her minions who have made it their lives mission to torment me._

 _Lorenzo is doing better with his anger, he hasn't had a burst of any kind of rage since he came here – Kiera has helped him._

 _Kiera not responding to our parents messages is justified and I'm not going to tell her otherwise, if you knew what he did to her you would feel the same as I. They deserve to be ghosted by her._

 _Benedict_

He saved it as a draft and didn't send it, he would regret it immediately if he did. He wishes he could tell him the truth but it's not his truth to tell, it's Kiera's. So, he wrote his actual reply.

 **To: ThaddeusWolf**

 **Subject: RE: Benedict**

 _Thaddeus,_

 _I'm doing great living with Kiera and Lorenzo._

 _She is doing wonders for his anger, you would be impressed._

 _Yes, I will talk to her and Lorenzo about returning our parents messages._

 _Benedict_

And sent.

He sighed putting his phone back on the beside table, he rolled onto his side, pushing his face into his pillow.

He just wanted to disappear.

* * *

Sat at his desk in his office, Shadow was doing paperwork which he found the most boring and tedious of his job, he preferred to be out there working on the cars and bikes. It's what made him get his own motorcycle and fall in love with riding.

He didn't want to rely on his parents money like Rouge did, he wanted a life and name for himself but the name he shares with his father comes with the territory as he soon found out when he started working at the auto repair company.

They were reigning it in, gaining more revenue and customers since he started and the rival family company in town wasn't too happy about it. They voiced their concerns with him on multiple occasions but it's out of his hands, they are just doing their jobs. They don't control the customer flow.

That didn't stop them from retaliating and making problems.

A large crash of metal against the floor went off outside his office. He looked up almost startled by the sound. He dropped his pen on the book and got up from his chair. Shadow then heard angry voices, he left his office and followed the sound.

There was a small group of men, only one that he recognised. The owners son, Scourge, and he wasn't happy. Shadow walked over to them.

"Scourge, just leave. We're trying to do our jobs here."

Scourge wasn't a friendly fellow. He snarled at him. "I don't care, you are ruining the family business and plummeting my father into dept."

"I'm sorry to hear that but that's none of our concern."

Scourge jaw clenched and his hand grabbed a crowbar, swinging it and smashing a car window. The glass fell apart onto the floor and inside of the car.

"Don't make me come back here again, or I'll do much worse and there's nothing your daddy can do about it." Scourge threatened him, and he knew he meant to keep that threat. He never goes back on his word.

Scourge and his crew left quickly. Shadow shook his head, dragging a hand down his face. "Clean it up, put a new window screen in and carry on with work. I'll deal with this."

The workers did what he asked. Shadow went back into his office, closing the door behind him and sat at his desk, he sighed burying his face into his arms on the desk.

He leant back into his chair and pulled out his phone, he pulled up Kiera's contact in his phone. He needed to seek solace and peace even just for an hour or two so he can figure things out. Shadow decided against calling her but he did send her a risky text.

 **Shadow: Can I see you again tonight?**

He put his phone down on the table, almost anxious waiting for her reply. Ten minutes went by before a notification from Kiera popped up on his screen.

He looked at it.

 **Kiera: 10pm. My place. Don't be late. Don't knock, just text me when you're here.**

He smiled at the screen, he had no intention to be late for her.

* * *

Benedict shuffled his way onto the sofa in the living room, his duvet wrapped around him. Kiera looked up from her book and saw him. "You're quite adorable like that."

"Thanks." He smiled slightly at her then he remembered the email.

He might as well just inform her. "I got an email from Thaddeus."

She went back to reading her book. "That so?"

"Yeah, he asked how I was. How Lorenzo is." Benedict skimmed over the details a bit.

She hummed her reply. "Get to the point, Benny."

"He's been getting messages from mother and father to get you to respond to their messages and calls."

Kiera's eyes met his and she wasn't enthused. "And what did you reply with?"

"That I'd ask you." Benedict sat cross-legged, looking at her.

Her eyes returned to the book. "He better prepare to be disappointed."

Benedict nodded, he thought that would be a reaction of hers. She had no intention of changing her ways of ignoring their parents, she would have to reply to them sooner or later but he knew she always preferred later.

* * *

Shadow parked his bike in her driveway, walking up the path and to her front door. Pausing, he pulled out his phone and texted her that he was here. A minute or two went by and the door opened.

He smiled at the sight of her. "Hey-"

Shadow was pulled in, the door quickly closing behind him. She shushed him and took his hand. He followed her up the stairs and down the landing to her bedroom.

He walked in and looked around. A queen sized bed, a lot of books and vinyl records on the shelves and what looks to be hand painting art framed on the walls.

Kiera put a record on and turned on the player and soft music played.

"Nice." He commented, turning around to her and she was taking the hair tie out, he watched as her hair fell down.

Shadow took a step towards her and surprised her by threading his fingers through her hair. It was soft and it fell through his fingers like silk. He cupped her cheeks and kissed her.

Her hands slid up his chest and curled the lapels of his jacket in her hands, she kissed him back and pulled at his jacket. He released his hands from her cheeks and discarded his jacket on the floor. Shadow took his shoes off as she twirled them so he was backwards to the bed. He took a few steps back and slowly fell onto his back with her.

She was on top of him, straddling his lap with her knees either side of his hips. Kiera broke the kiss, sitting back. Shadow pulled his shirt off over his head and tossed it where his jacket lay on this floor. Her finger grazed the muscles on his stomach, the caressing their way up his chest.

She was admiring him.

Her touch and gaze definitely had an effect on him as his pants started to get tighter, he was more than sure that she could feel it as well. He groaned as she rocked her hips, grinding herself against his groin.

Shadow's hands gripped her waist, holding her still. "That was naughty."

Kiera smirked and pulled her shirt over her head, his eyes locked to what she was wearing. A red lace corset inspired bralette. Yep, she was definitely trying to kill him. He hoped it was a matching set that she was wearing.

"Shit, you're so fucking hot." He pulled her flush against him, kissing her with hot passion. He shivered as her covered breasts pressed against his bare chest. He could feel her and he needed to get rid of his pants.

She felt the same, she needed him and now. She broke the kiss again and unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned his pants and unzipped him. "Ah, there he is. All for me."

His chest rose and fell with deep breaths. "You're a damn tease, you know that?"

"I don't hear any complaints." Kiera smirked and went back to her feet on the floor, pulling the rest of his pants down. She then buttoned her own and shimmied them down her legs.

He was right. It was a matching set. He's the luckiest man in the world right now. Kiera got back on his lap, the only barriers between them was his boxers and her underwear. His hands went to her thighs then cascading up to her ass, giving it a nice squeeze.

She paused him with a hand on his chest. "Condom, in the draw to your right."

He almost forgot. Shadow looked to his right and reached and pulled the drawer open. He got the box of condoms and picked one out. He needed this and her, and it looked like the feeling was definitely mutual.

Kiera took the condom from him, he was confused for a second before she got rid of his boxers, opening up the condom and put it on him herself. Her hands on his erect dick was a different feeling altogether and something he reckons they'll explore at a future date.

Shadow flipped her onto her back, her legs naturally locked around his waist, his lips went and found a home at the curve of her neck. She moaned softly and he loved that sound. His left hand pulled a strap of her bralette down and his hand caressed and groped her free breast. His right hand slipped around her back, finding the clasp of the bralette.

He pulled the bralette from her chest and tossed it behind him, not caring where it landed. He wasted no time as he massaged the left breast whole his mouth teased the right. He did the same treatment to the other as well. This caused a reaction from her which he was delighted by.

Her hips rolled into his, grinding herself against his cock. He agreed, he needed to be inside her. His hand slid down her curves and gripped the side of her panties, pulling them down. He doesn't know where they went after that.

Shadow prodded the head against her entrance. Kiera moaned into his ear, "Do it." He did what she asked of her, he pushed all the way inside her.

He moaned. "I forgot how tight you were, you feel so fucking good."

She threw her head back against the pillow, feeling so full of him, she was very happy she texted him back now. He paused, basking in the right hold that her walls had on him. It was perfect. She was perfect.

She moaned again as he began to thrust is hips, fucking into her. He soon found his rhythm and bucked his hips. Shadow buried his face into her neck, grunting with each thrust.

She could feel every thrust, every shudder, shake, groan and moan from him. The way he moaned her name and took care of her body when they had sex melted her insides in the best way.

Kiera moaned his name and he just thrusted into her faster and then harder, she gripped his shoulders, clawing at his back and leaving him some marks for him to find later.

He growled into her ear, his hips snapping against hers. She could feel it, he was going to cum and so was she.

Her stomach tightened and released as she came around his cock, which triggered his straight away. He kept his hips in as he came, dropping his head on her breasts, trying to catch his breath.

Shadow relaxed his back but made sure not to crush her with his weight, they stayed like that for what seemed like hours but we're mere minutes.

He rose and leaned up to kiss her, it was a gentle and soft kiss. She hummed and it was such a pleasant sound. He hated to break the bubble that they were in but he had to.

He pulled out of her and got up, walked to her bathroom to discard the condom. He came back to her laying on her front, looking effortlessly sexy in nothing but a sheet against her.

"You have to go, don't you?"

Shadow nodded. "I do, stuff happened at work that is less than pleasant and I still need to sort it out."

Kiera understood and didn't press him, it wasn't her business and they weren't dating. "Okay."

He put on his boxers and leaned down to her, kissing her one last time. "I'll call you." She nodded and watched him get dressed.

He put his shoes on, holding his jacket, he straightened and stared at her.

She saw this. "What?"

"Nothing." Shadow smirked and left her bedroom.

He walked down the stairs and walked through the kitchen putting his jacket on, he looked up and frozen when he saw Lorenzo and Benedict having a cup of tea.

They looked at each other in silence.

Lorenzo took a sip of his tea, then started to laugh. "So funny."

Shadow looked awkward and cleared his throat, "Goodnight." He left.

Benedict looked at his brother. "What...I don't."

"That was your sisters booty call."


	17. Chapter 17

_**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**_

Kiera's eyes slowly opened but winced closed as the sun coming through the curtains blinded her, she stretched out her arms from under the covers reaching out beyond the bed. As she arched her back and was suddenly aware that she was not in her own bed with an arm snaked around her middle. He felt warm against her and she felt warm because of him.

She wouldn't admit it to him and especially not to herself that she enjoyed the small, quiet and intimate moments like this one that they shared, a secret in her subconscious. For now.

She rolled slowly, facing him as he still slept, and she was now fully aware that they were both naked. Not that she minded, they've slept together multiple times now and fully aware of how they both looked under those sheets. Kiera isn't blind, she knows Shadow is roguishly handsome in every way, he has charm and could get any girl he wanted – and a good heart to top it all off.

Shadow's arm around her waist pulled her closer, flush against him as he buried his face in her hair and neck. Kiera laughed and lightly stroked his back with her free arm. "Good morning to you, too."

She could feel him smile against her neck, she then smiled as he showered her neck and collarbone in kisses. His hand came up her side and brushed against her breast, she pulled his head back. "Enjoying yourself?"

He smirked down at her. "Immensely, it's not everyday that you wake up to a gorgeous naked woman in your bed."

Both their faces dropped as multiple bangs vibrated through the wall he shares with his step-sister. His head dropped, resting on her chest, his own chest rumbling with laughter. Shadow rolled back onto his back, staring at the ceiling but with an arm under her pillow still touching her in some way.

"Never a moments peace, for either of us it seems." Shadow sighed, meeting her hand on his stomach.

Kiera laughed and pulled away, sitting up, looking at him from over her shoulder. "Shall we run away together then?" An obvious joke but he stared at her like he was truly tempted by her offer.

Just for a fleeting moment.

Shadow sat up, watching her move naked around his bedroom, finding her items of clothing he found very fun removing from her curvaceous and stunning body. "Now, that's an idea." He smirked.

She shimmied her high waisted black jeans up her long legs and over her hips. He pulled her back onto the bed by her belt loops. "I'd rather we just stay in this bedroom, ignoring the world and family members we don't want to talk to."

She rolled her eyes. "Sadly, the world doesn't work like that."

"Wish it did." He mumbled into her hair.

She lay there for a few moments with him, he was warm and she felt at ease. Almost like everything that causes her twists and turns in her heart and mind, and not the good kind but she can't let herself feel like that.

Not for him.

Not for anyone, and definitely not again.

She felt his chest hum against her as he spoke up after a long welcomed silence. "I can literally hear the cogs turning at full speed in your head."

Kiera huffed and turned her head. "Funny."

Shadow chuckled and softly nudged her. "You can tell me."

She couldn't, not with this and she sighed. "Nothing important, just brother and family stuff that I've been ignoring for far too long."

More like years spanning over a decade.

"Sounds important." Shadow slipped out from underneath her and hovered over her, giving her his full and prompt attention.

Kiera met his eyes, held her breath. There was something there, add it to the list of things that she'll ignore for the rest of eternity before it's too late. In true Kiera style. She could just imagine Blaze all in her pregnant glory kicking her ass for it but bad habits die hard it seems.

"I don't…have a good relationship with my mother and father, it's complicated." That was putting it mildly.

He didn't have a particularly good relationship with his own father and especially his step-mother but it wasn't in the same way, not that he knew. "Neither do I with mine." He softly brushed the stray hair from her face.

She tried to ignore the feeling that she couldn't quite pin point.

"When was the last time you talked to yours?" She asked.

He paused. "Last month, for a check in while they're on their romantic cruise."

She nearly rolled her eyes at that.

 _Nearly._

"The last time I spoke to my parents in person was a couple months after I turned nineteen."

He blinked, it was almost like there was a record scratch pause in the air. "That's a long time."

She realised she shouldn't have said anything. "Just forget it." Kiera shook her head and pushed out from under him, standing up and putting her shirt back on.

"Hey, hey, hey." Shadow got up and took her hand, stopping her movements.

Kiera looked up at him from her shoulder. "When you're ready to talk about it, I'll be here."

* * *

"And, then he said, 'when you're ready to talk about it, I'll be here' like, what casual hook up says that, you know?" Kiera paced back and forth in front of their TV, trying to decipher his words as if they were cryptic and had a bunch of hidden meanings.

Blaze sat there on the sofa, soft woolly blanket draped around her as she watched the hot mess that was Kiera unfold before her. She was originally watching Once Upon a Time on Netflix but suddenly was interrupted.

"Is it really casual when you have sex nearly every day?"

Kiera paused and glared. "That's beside the point. What is he even thinking?"

"That he wants something more than what's between your legs? I don't know! I've never done the friends with benefits thing before." Blaze leaned back, she was glad her friend was being more open with whatever this was.

Silver walked in with three mugs of tea. "Good."

"You're a guy!"

"Last time I checked."

Kiera rolled her eyes. "What do you think then?"

"I think that you need to get some sleep." He sat down next to his wife.

She glared at him. "Oh, bitches be crazy?"

Silver's eyes widened. "What? No! If you think he has feelings for you then pull away a little, test them."

"For once, the teacher is right."

He stared at her, offended.

* * *

Kiera walked back into her bedroom and found Benedict sat on her bed, waiting for her. "Couldn't have text me?"

"Would you have answered?"

She dropped her bag on the desk. "Eventually."

She walked over and sat down on the edge of her bed beside him. "When are you going back to school?"

Benedict's brow furrowed. "We're on break for two weeks." She didn't know that, she should pay more attention when reading his school letters that he brings home and leaves on the counter.

"Right, so why are you in my bedroom?" Kiera asked with a raised eyebrow.

He shuffled his feet. "Waiting for you."

"I gathered that."

Benedict rolled his eyes. "You and the guy…"

Now, she wanted to roll her eyes. "Casual, nothing serious. No feelings." That might be a lie on both their parts.

"Like friends with benefits?"

She laughed a little. "Less friends and more of the benefits."

Benedict recoiled. "Ew."

"You asked."

He looked at her. "Not afraid of catching feelings? People always do in the movies."

"This isn't a movie or a fairy-tale, Benny."

* * *

Shadow sighed as he put his phone away in his pocket,

"Trouble in paradise?" He turned and saw Rouge smirking at his expense. He has been in a bit of a mood for the past couple of days and she knew it wasn't her as she's been on 'good behaviour' or her version of it.

Then it was obviously his bed pal.

He glared at her. "None of your business."

"She break your heart? Seems like the type, total ice queen and maybe a little bit of a bitch." She was pushing him to get him to talk, get a reaction out of him and see how deep this 'bed pal' thing goes.

His jaw clenched and he turned. "Don't talk about her like that."

"There it is." She decided that she would actually be his sister for once. "Wanna talk about it?"

Shadow played with the thought of actually talking about her with someone other than himself in his head or sometimes the mirror, it felt like he was admitting that he felt something other than arousal and pure lust when he sees her and when he's with her.

"Fine."

Rouge smiled and sat up on the counter. "What has she done to make you so miserable?"

"Ignoring my texts, calls and saying she's busy with her brothers, with something else but I know that can be true, but I didn't realise how often I saw her and how much time I spent with her."

She looked at him. "You like her. You like-like her."

He shook his head. "No. No, I don't."

"Someone's in denial!" She laughed, she's never ever seen him like someone or even love someone.

His thoughts were going in circles.

Was he in denial?


	18. Chapter 18

**_CHAPTER EIGHTEEN_**

Benedict was collecting his dirty clothes and putting them into his hamper, to be washed later on. He needed to clear his space and his mind, both has been cluttered recently. Thoughts of his parents, thoughts of his far away brothers, thoughts of Kiera and thoughts of his friends elude him.

He sighed, he's been ignoring messages and emails from his mother and his brothers for a while now and he knows that Kiera has been doing the same, but he just feels differently about them now and for good reason. His brothers are clueless, his mother he suspects the same and his father is a piece of shit was putting it mildly.

Everything was so messed up and he can't talk about any of it to anyone because it's Kiera's secret to bare and to tell the people she chooses. Not him, it would be wrong, and a breech of her trust and she was only just starting to open up to him more even if it was talking about her bed arrangement.

Which is something he really doesn't want to get into detail about especially with his sister.

His phone buzzed against his leg, he should have looked at the caller ID before answering the phone call. "Hello?"

" _Benedict! I finally got a hole of you_!" His mothers voice rang in his eyes and his hole heart dropped and he suddenly felt cold and sick.

His eyes closed. "Hello, mother, I'm sorry, I've been so busy with all my school work." He wasn't, he was on break and now he was lying to her as Kiera would.

" _Of course, I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing._ " He had a feeling that wasn't all she wanted from him.

Benedict shuffled his feet where he stood. "I'm fine, mother. Kiera is taking good care of me and Lorenzo."

" _Speaking of your sister, she hasn't responded to any of my emails or messages. I would like to speak with her._ " Her voice was filled with concern, but he wasn't sure he believed it anymore, he doesn't believe a word either of them say anymore.

" _I'll tell her, mother._ "

" _Good, thank you, dear. Speak to you soon._ "

There were no 'I love you's.

He ended the call and sighed, he'll have to persuade Kiera into responding to their mother so the messages and emails will stop coming through for a while, having something not to worry or overthink about.

* * *

Shadow was sat at his desk, the last of his men were gone for the day and it was just him to lock things up. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and stared at her contact name, he looked at their text thread and it was a sad, pathetic sight. He hasn't seen or been with her for over a week and it seemed like she had an excuse for every time he asked to meet her.

It made him sad and a little rejected, he was thinking that Rouge was right about what he is feeling for her.

He read their last messages.

 **Shadow: Tonight, my place at 8?**

 **Kiera: Not tonight, I'm working with my brother Lorenzo.**

They were a lot like that as of late, and they always ended the same.

He got up out of his chair, putting his jacket on, shoving his phone and keys to the shop in his pocket. He sighed and left his office, locking the door behind him. Shadow locked everything else up and he left through the back door, locking it and he turned to see someone he really didn't want to see.

Scourge.

"What do you want now, Scourge?" Shadow asked zipping up his jacket.

Scourge clicked his tongue. "You see, I gave you a fair warning, but I guess I have to be less gentle and much firmer with you."

His eyes narrowed at him, remembering his 'gentle' warning by smashing a glass window in his shop. "I'm not in the mood for games."

Scourge's gaze hardened. "Neither am I." His men came into view and suddenly it was five against one, and something in his gut told him that he should have gone home earlier like the rest of his crew.

They came closer and he was cornered, the first couple shots hit his stomach, chest, jaw and back. He felt to the ground and the fists changed the feet, but he was thankful for his vision going dark and passing out.

He woke up later, alone, bruised and bloodied. He groaned as he pushed himself up to his hands and knees and slumped against the wall.

His only thought was Kiera.

Shadow pulled out his phone and glad it still had some charge left. He found her contact and he prayed to God that she was finally answer him.

"Please…please, answer." He whimpered out.

It rang a few more times before finally the call connected. " _Hello Shadow_." He smiled through his pain at the sound of his voice.

"Kiera. I know you said no but I need to see you…I _really_ had a bad day." That was an understatement.

There was a small pause. "Okay."

He still held his smile. "I'll be there soon."

Somehow, he got the courage the get to his feet and finds his car.

Kiera opened the front door to her house expecting to find a horny Shadow but instead found a beaten, broken version of him. Her eyes widened and pulled him inside, closing and locking the door behind him.

"What the hell happened to you?" Her warm hands cupped his cold cheeks gently, testing where he was hurt.

Shadow winced. "I did say I had a bad day."

She rolled her eyes. "Can you make it to my bedroom? I'll patch you up there and you'll stay the night."

He nodded and did as she said, nearly crawling to her bedroom. She followed him up the stairs with a first aid kit in one hand, and a bottle of water and pain killers in the other.

He winced as he sat down on the edge of her bed, she set the kit, water and pills down on the bed beside him. Shadow grimaced through her taking off his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt. She stared at his bruises and cuts on his chest, her heart hurt at the sight of him.

Kiera washed away the blood from his face and chest as softly as she could, to not cause him any more pain than he was already in. He watched her as she treated him with such gentleness that made his heart weep.

"Thankfully, there's no deep cuts or anything too damaging but just a lot of bruising, so you'll ache a lot, but I got you pain killers and a bottle of water." She walked away and folded his clothes over her desk chair.

He opened the bottle and took a swig with two pain killers. He slowly stood up, wincing as he slipped his shoes off. "Help me with my pants?"

Kiera nodded, it wasn't the first time she's taken off his jeans, but this time was different. She slowly slid his jeans down his legs and he sat down on her bed again. "Come here." He said.

She did and walked over to him, leant down and kissed him. It was a soft and gentle kiss, far different from their passionate and frenzied kisses and neither of them hate whatever feeling this was. His hands found their way up her waist to her back and she slowly got onto his lap, straddling him.

He stops their kissing by squeezing her hips, she looked confused for a moment before he shook his head. "I just want to hold you tonight."

A pause, and she nodded.

It took some time, but he slid into her bed, getting comfortable even through all the aches and pains but he had her next to him. She turned the light off and moved closer to him. His arm curled behind her head and she entangled her leg over his as he held her close.

He rested his head on top of hers and her arm wrapped gently over his stomach. "Comfy?" Kiera asked not wanting to cause him any more pain.

Shadow hummed and kissed her forehead. "Yes."

They didn't say anything else to each other, they just laid there together and later on, she would realise that this would be the moment that changed everything.

* * *

Shadow woke up in the morning, alone and in a bed that was not his own. He sat up slowly, wincing and he brought a hand up to his face, feeling the small cuts and bruises then he remembered what happened.

Scourge and his friends beating him up, him finding his way to Kiera's house and her taking good care of him.

A light was on and he heard the sound of running water, he pushed himself slowly off the bed and followed the sound into her bathroom.

Shadow stared at the silhouette of her body through the shower curtain, he dropped and stepped out of his boxers and stepped into the shower behind her, taking in the gorgeous sight of her naked body.

She was washing her hair when Kiera felt a presence behind her and turned, surprised to see him but a very welcomed one. She pulled him closer to her and under the warm shower, his body just touching hers in mere centimetres.

He kissed her with passion and need, she reciprocated and snaked her arms around his neck. Pressing her breasts up against his chest, he held her close by her waist. He felt up and down her sides, caressing her soft curves and he bucked his hips into her involuntarily. She definitely felt him hard against her hip.

Shadow slid his hands down to her ass, giving it a squeeze, and down to her thighs, lifting her up and wrapping them around his waist as he pushed her against the tiles of the shower. She moaned at his actions.

"You're…You're hurt." Kiera breathed out as he teased her by stroking her with the length of his cock along her pussy.

He didn't care for the pain right now. "It's very worth it." Shadow groaned as he pushed inside her.

Tight, warm and perfect. He kissed and nibbled at her neck, slowly rocking his hips into hers, taking his sweet time and he loved the sounds she made because of him.

Kiera gripped his shoulders and mewled his name, the cool tiles, the hot water and Shadow's own warm body drove her wild, bucking her hips into his. He threaded his free hand into her wet hair as he kissed her with so much passion as he fastened his pace between her legs.

She gasped and cried full of pleasure into his mouth as he hit that spot inside her, her hips bucked wildly against him, desperate for him. Kiera threw her head back against the tile as she felt herself on the edge, her walls tightening around him and her mouth opened with a soundless cry.

At the feel of her clenching around his dick Shadow began thrusting into her harder, making sure his pubic bone ground into her clit, making her tremble and jerk against him. His mouth sought out her neck, nibbled and sucked at her skin wanting to mark her skin and leave a love bite for her to remember him later. A few more deep penetrating pumps and he was coming, groaning into her neck.

"Kiera!"

Shadow pressed sweet kisses across her jaw to her lips, where he kissed her softly, a smile on his lips. His hand finally left her hair to cradle her face, his thumb brushing her cheek as he pulled back to gaze into her eyes as he slowly released her legs from his hips.

Her softened eyes looked back at him and he returned back to her lips, sighing in contentment at their lazy kisses and soft touches to their bodies.


	19. Update

This fic has been abandoned and discontinued.

I have lost all love, motivation and drive for it.

Apologies.


End file.
